Everything!
(Well, I lied. I love everything except looking at my depleting cash reserve.)
I love Christmas colors. Red and green are my favorite. I would love my house to look like the inside of a Christmas store all year round!
I love Santa Claus.
My Santa Claus collection is one of my happiest things in life. I look forward to pulling it/him out every year, and am a little bit sad when Santa goes back into the boxes.
I love performing "A Christmas Carol." Certainly that is in part due to the fact that I love performing. But I love performing this show in particular. I get to sing about Christ for four hours! Well, maybe "Deck the Halls" and "Wassail" aren't Christ-centered, but the rest of the songs are. I love the whole message.
"Good Christian men rejoice, with heart and soul and voice.
Ox and ass before Him bow, for He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today.
Good Christian men rejoice, with heart and soul and voice.
Now ye need not fear the grave, Jesus Christ was born to save.
Calls you one and calls you all to gain His everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save.
Christ was born to save."
Could you sum up Christmas any better than that?
I love the script of the show. Every night I am struck by something different. I wish I hadn't been obedient and turned my script in already because I would love to write down some of Jacob Marley's words. I will try to paraphrase: When Ebenezer Scrooge asks what Marley wants of him, Marley replies, "Much, Ebenezer Scrooge." I think that is telling. Marley doesn't want something from Scrooge. He wants Scrooge; his whole soul and being. It would certainly have been easier for Scrooge to just give Marley something, rich as he was. But it was "much" more that was required for Scrooge's welfare ("Reclamation, then," as the Ghost of Christmas Past explains), and it is required of us, as well. Marley goes on to talk about how vast the ocean of need for human compassion, and how we will be surprised to learn how much we can do for good in our sphere of influence, much more than can be done in one mortal life. "Blind, blind man," Marley cries. I love having my eyes opened by hearing these words over and over.
I love (although I'm not sure that "love" is the appropriate word for it...) watching Gary Ceran, who plays Bob Crachit, show after show as he stands over Tiny Tim's grave and we sing the words, "This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherd's guard and angels sing..." Gary has taught me, quite poignantly, about faith in Jesus Christ. I will never forget Gary's words at the funeral of three members of his family. He was recalling someone's question to him at the previous death of one of the Ceran children. This person had asked, "When will the suffering stop? When will it be enough?" And the answer Gary gave comes to my mind frequently: "Don't you see the irony in asking, "Lord, why are you trying to make me like thee?"
I love the script of the show. Every night I am struck by something different. I wish I hadn't been obedient and turned my script in already because I would love to write down some of Jacob Marley's words. I will try to paraphrase: When Ebenezer Scrooge asks what Marley wants of him, Marley replies, "Much, Ebenezer Scrooge." I think that is telling. Marley doesn't want something from Scrooge. He wants Scrooge; his whole soul and being. It would certainly have been easier for Scrooge to just give Marley something, rich as he was. But it was "much" more that was required for Scrooge's welfare ("Reclamation, then," as the Ghost of Christmas Past explains), and it is required of us, as well. Marley goes on to talk about how vast the ocean of need for human compassion, and how we will be surprised to learn how much we can do for good in our sphere of influence, much more than can be done in one mortal life. "Blind, blind man," Marley cries. I love having my eyes opened by hearing these words over and over.
I love that Christmas is supposed to make us think more about Jesus Christ. I love that we celebrate His birth. I love that this particular celebration focuses on gift giving, for it is Jesus Christ who makes possible the best gifts: The gift of being better tomorrow than we are today. The gift of trying again. The gift of repentance. The gift of example and direction. The gift of being known intimately. The gift of someone still wanting us, no matter what. And there is so much more.
There's just so much to Christmas, and I revel in it. So, especially in remembering Christ, who's birth we commemorate with this wonderful holiday, I wish you (and me) and very merry Christmas.
There's just so much to Christmas, and I revel in it. So, especially in remembering Christ, who's birth we commemorate with this wonderful holiday, I wish you (and me) and very merry Christmas.
1 comment:
As I said to Colin earlier in the week, I LOVE being taught by my children. I love that they are such awesome people with great insights and inspiration. I figure the Lord must love me to have arranged things for me to be related to them. THANKS for sharing!
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