HoHoHo… A Caroling We Go!

You know how when someone asks you to do something and you say, “Yes!” without thinking it through? Well, a neighbor asked me a while back if I would take my guitar over and sing for the residents of the new nursing home she opened. Being the kooky musical family that we are I replied, “Sure!”
Well, yesterday was the day we finally were able to get over there. I had given the kids a heads up that morning that we were going to go sing right after Jackson got home from school, I told them it was in our neighborhood and it wouldn’t take too long.

After school we quickly hurried to get ready, Grace and Jackson were not too sure about the whole thing, and to be honest I wasn’t sure what we were walking into either. With a little grumbling and “Why are we singing for old people?” the kids and I got in the car and headed over.
As we drove up, there in the driveway was a little old lady sitting with her walker I whispered, “God help us.”

He did.

We went into the house to greet 4 other residents and 3 aids. We gathered in a circle of walkers and canes, handed out song sheets and we sang! Grace (in her red sequins) and Jackson sang loud and clear, all of a sudden we knew why we were here. We sang Jingle bells, Away in a Manger, Silent Night and We wish you a Merry Christmas. When we were done we hugged them and said we would come back, they smiled and responded with a list of some other Christmas songs they would like us to learn and sing when we return.  As we left to go over to a friends for more Christmas fun, Jackson declared, “That was my Advent for the day, it prepared my heart for Christmas.”
You see we went to give to them and instead we received. We were blessed by 5 people that don’t leave that house, but by our being willing to enter and go in, God worked in our hearts.
What a gift for us to be given.

This Christmas may we find opportunities to be present and step out of our boxes so that we may be blessed and see God’s face in those in need. They come in all shapes, color and places, we just have to have show up.
For it’s in our giving that we truly receive.

O God, give us eyes to see when we are in Your presence!
Help us to look for You in the presence of strangers, and help us to be Your hands and feet in this world of need. AMEN