Hark! the Herald Angels Sing!

For the past few years, I've felt a mounting concern that I've just heard and sung Christmas Carols far too many times to take them in any more. I can remember when, back in my teens, I memorized all the verses of all of the carols. It wasn't hard. I grew up in a church that had an amazingly rich and beautiful music program and singing in, at least, 3-4 choir concerts in December was quite normal for me. We sang those carols a lot!

 

But, it wasn't just memorizing the carols that meant so much to me, they really, truly are my favorite hymns. The words get to the very heart of what life is all about for me - "Emmanuel" or...

..."God with us!"

Anyway! That's how this whole holiday got started!! (Just ask St. Nick! He'll tell you!!)

The Carols contain the most astounding and deep phrases and, today, the old familiar Carol that caught my heart afresh was, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! The phrase that made me go get the carol to read it was

"Risen with healing in His wings!" 

Just to have someone in my life who sees and knows the depths of me - including the not so stellar moments and all of the yuck - and to have them wipe it away and be nonplussed by it - giving me an eternal fresh start! Someone who always expects and knows the best of me - just to have that One who absolutely delights in me - believes in me - thinks that I am of inestimable worth... how could a person not be healed and whole in such a safe and loved place?!

So, my word for the day is healing!

 I feel it!

But my picture is of an angel. ;) The angel is from the Coalport Nativity set that my mom so thoughtfully got us when Tom and I were first married. And, yes! She's missing her thumbs. It was a 'too much candy cane, sugar-high, ball wielding' child's accident from years ago! I've got them safe somewhere so that, someday, I can have them reattached and my angel, too, will be.... ;)

xo