Today I Am Happy About...

Christmas Caroling

Tonight my family went caroling. At first I was thinking it would be incredibly lame... But I gave it a chance. I slid on my newly purchased Adidas shoes, I put hand warmers in my gloves and put them on, wrapped a scarf around my neck, zipped up my jacket, and walked out the door. We drove to the first home and started singing. I was amazed. We had a 3-part harmony going as we sang Silent Night. Then we joyfully sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas. We hopped back into the family van and drove to the second house where we repeated the gesture but added Away in a Manger.

The fourth and fifth homes we walked to and instead of the .. interesting .. Away in a Manger, we sung Joy to the World (which I had a KILLER harmony for). We were met with giant smiles and grins at the fourth home, good friends of ours and our neighbors and they seemed very happy we visited them. The last home were other neighbors whom I was friends with when I was younger. We sang Silent Night, Joy to the World, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and they were so happy. They told us how they were at mass the week before and they had talked about how no one celebrated the true meaning of Christmas anymore. They told us that they were discussing how no one caroled anymore, and how they remembered when we were younger, how we would carol to their house, and how they missed the days we would sing of Christ and His birth. Then the two days later, there we were. Singing of the glorious birth of Christ. Joy to the World! Christ had come :)

I walked in the house with a huge smile on my face knowing that I made someone's Christmas, and that they, without knowing, had made mine. Not that I had forgotten about Christ, but they had reminded me that it isn't the presents or the visit from Santa Claus that make the holiday. It is Jesus the Christ who's joyous, wonderful birth we celebrate, that makes the holiday. It is HE that we should rejoice in. It is HE that we find faith in, and whom we renew our faith in.

I testify Jesus is the Christ, and that he was born in a stable to the virgin Mary. That he grew up and testified to the world of his divinity and of God, our Father. I know that we are truly loved by both our Savior and God the Father. I know that if we trust in them, and if we remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas, we can be happy and we can remember continually the blessing our Savior is in our life.

- J