Sing
What kind of singer are you? Do you sing loud and proud or ever-so-softly because you don’t want to be heard? Or are you the type of person that likes to hum to the tune of the song because you forgot the words? Well, no matter how you choose to sing, we can all agree that there is a JOY that comes from it!
Singing makes me think of the scene from the movie, ELF. Buddy proclaims, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear!” He had no shame in his game when it came to singing in New York City for ANYONE to hear! I mean, the Bible does say to make a JOYFUL noise, right?
As I think about the music of Christmas, there is so much excitement and anticipation that leads up to this very special day. However, once Christmas Day is over, it feels as if the whole experience is over and done with. I think that the days following Christmas should continue in the celebration of welcoming the Savior into the world. It’s Christmas week and the joy has just begun!
What do you think? Should the week after Christmas be considered Christmas week?
Let me tell you a little bit more about why I think this.
Christmas is a special time of year that pulls family close and friends together, reminding us of the gift we are to one another. We demonstrate that by giving gifts. Most importantly, we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who was wrapped in a swaddling cloth and laid in a manger.
Whenever you open a gift that you just LOVE, at first sight, the initial thought usually is, “Oh, I love it so much! I know exactly where I’m going to wear this!” or “I can’t wait to use this!” Ladies… am I right? We either wear it immediately (if it’s SUPER cute) or plan a time when we will wear or use it. We experience the gift and enjoy it in the days AFTER we receive it.
Much like Christmas Day, we experience The Gift by reflecting on the true reason we celebrate, and then we carry a heart filled with gratitude, hope, and love with us in the week that follows. I am talking about what really matters in each of our lives. It’s PEOPLE: people we spend building relationships and doing life with. These are the REAL gifts and experiences that we carry on our journey of life.
Hopefully, this Christmas - the excitement, joy, and celebration - won’t stop when the last gift is unwrapped or when your final house guest departs. May the week after Christmas carry the memories you made and moments you had with those you love into this week and even all year. People are gifts in our lives.
I think about the Ultimate Gift that was given to us: the Christ-child. He was 100% human and 100% God.
As I pause and reflect upon the Christmas story in the gospel of Luke, something SINGS true:
Joy is a person, and that person is JESUS. Jesus is our perfect Gift. In receiving this Gift, we are transformed and made new to be a gift that reflects Him. We are to shine bright in this world because of this Gift.
In Luke Chapter 1, this beautiful Christmas story tells us about the birth of our Savior, Jesus. The angel, Gabriel, already paid a visit to deliver his message to Zechariah and Mary. Zechariah is still not able to say anything at this point and Mary is probably still processing what just happened. Mary and Elizabeth are both pregnant, but Elizabeth is a little further along than Mary.
Mary decides to take a trip to visit Elizabeth who is actually 6 months pregnant. This girl has got a big baby bump! This is the part of the story when Gabriel’s words now become Elizabeth’s and Mary’s actual REALITY. Here’s a little side note: What God says will always come to pass (write that down).
Let’s read what happens next in Luke 1:41-45.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice, she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
This is the impact of relationships and the gift of friendship when we greet one another and love each other well. I love the part of this true story that mentions that baby John leaped for JOY inside Elizabeth’s womb! Isn’t that amazing? And it was at the sound of her voice!
Later on in this chapter, we find that Mary SINGS! Sometimes when we are processing and wondering how things are going to turn out, we are given a moment when the PROMISE becomes the REALITY and it causes us to SING!
We can SING on the way to it.
We can SING on our way through it.
We can SING on the other side of it.
We can SING His promises and we can SING with a NEW song because what God says will come to pass!
Mary had a song to SING as she was on her way to deliver the newborn KING.
Mary’s song was:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Maybe, just maybe, Mary sang this song loud for all to hear. We have a song to sing too.
What new song is inside your heart that you can sing? Joy comes from a person and it’s because of Jesus that we can SING!
If Mary can sing, I believe we can too!
Bethany Marshall
