My bedtime routine as a child is one of my favorite memories. I can still recall being nestled in my bed, snuggled under the yellow flowered cotton sheets, the bedspread pulled up taut around me, listening to music so that I could go to sleep. Back then I didn’t go to sleep without music.
It played from down the hall, my “sleeping” music did, on a round table that turned vinyl discs- it was the only way we played music back then. Our record player sat in the living room, which functionally was almost exactly in the middle of the house. You could hear its music from one end of our home to the other, which was important for those of us listening at bed time.
Regularly, the record would finish before we had gone to sleep, and we would give a shout out to my Mom or Dad, “Turn it over!” In particular, one set of records that we would listen to, year round, was “The Messiah.” Over and over we heard, as young children, “Comfort Ye My People,” and “Every Valley shall be exalted,” and “Who may abide the day of his coming?” It was one of the original Advent studies, long before I had ever even heard the word Advent.
As December rolls along each year, I struggle to connect with the story. A baby, from Heaven, born to a virgin, in a manger, God incarnate. and how am I to receive this gift? It is all so surreal. I want my heart to be so enthralled, that it doesn’t let go in the “off” season; so saturated that I don’t become brittle and hard to the truth. A Savior, God’s greatest gift, born for me.
It hit me On Wednesday, as I did school work with the kids and made dinner and did all of the ordinary things, while listening to the Messiah. one and a half times over it played. And then I listened to more as I drove to choir practice. For me, connection comes as I repeat the story – the whole story from the beginning- again and again, just like we did as children. As the bright light of its truth settles into the dark places of my sinful heart, I am able to sing from the depths of my soul,”Glory to God,” “Rejoice! Greatly!” “For Unto Us a Child is Born!” and with boldness, “Hallelujah!”
Psalm 92:1-2 is a good reminder to rehearse it, over and over :
1 It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
With my Christmas Season in full swing: the parties, the Christmas programs, the baking and decorating, the shopping and on and on and on, I am determined to not let it rush by. I will slow down and let the reality of the story, “God with us,” turn over in my heart and mind as often as I can. The more it sinks in, the better the celebrating.
daily portion 