Guest guest Posted December 20, 2000 Report Share Posted December 20, 2000 > Subject: A Wonderful Story > >Each December I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. >I had cut back on nonessential obligations: extensive cardwriting, endless >baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet I still found myself >exhausted, unable to fully appreciate the precious family moments, and, of >course, the true meaning of Christmas. > >My son, , was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season >for a six-year-old. For weeks, he'd been >memorizing songs for his school's Winter Pageant. I didn't >have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. > >Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher who >assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning >of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome >to come then. >Fortunately, seemed happy with the compromise. >So, the morning of the dress rehersal, I filed in ten minutes early >and found a seat in the cafeteria. Around the room, I saw several >other parents quietly scampering to their seats. >As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied >by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. >Then each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. >Because the public school system had stopped referring to the >holiday as " Christmas " I didn't expect anything other than fun, >comercial entertainment: songs about reindeer, Santa Claus, >snowflakes, and good cheer. > >So when my son's class rose to >sing " Christmas Love " I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. > was aglow, as were all of his classmates, who were >adorned in fuzzy mittens and red sweaters, with bright stocking >caps on their heads. >Those in the front row, center stage, held up large letters, one by one, >to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing > " C is for Christmas " a child would hold up the l! etter " C. " >Then, " H is for Happy, " and on and on, until each child holding >his portion had presented the complete message, " Christmas >Love. " The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly we >noticed her: a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter > " M " upside down. She was unaware that reversed, her letter " M " appeared as >a " W. " >The audience of first- through sixth-graders snickered at this little >one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, >and she stood tall, proudly holding her " W. " > >Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter >continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it >together. A hush came over the audience, and eyes began to widen. >In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why >we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the >chaos there was a purpose for our festivities. >When the last letter was held high, the message read clear: > > " CHRIST WAS LOVE. " > >And I believe He still is. Is that a wonderful story or what? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2000 Report Share Posted December 20, 2000 > Subject: A Wonderful Story > >Each December I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. >I had cut back on nonessential obligations: extensive cardwriting, endless >baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet I still found myself >exhausted, unable to fully appreciate the precious family moments, and, of >course, the true meaning of Christmas. > >My son, , was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season >for a six-year-old. For weeks, he'd been >memorizing songs for his school's Winter Pageant. I didn't >have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. > >Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher who >assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning >of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome >to come then. >Fortunately, seemed happy with the compromise. >So, the morning of the dress rehersal, I filed in ten minutes early >and found a seat in the cafeteria. Around the room, I saw several >other parents quietly scampering to their seats. >As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied >by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. >Then each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. >Because the public school system had stopped referring to the >holiday as " Christmas " I didn't expect anything other than fun, >comercial entertainment: songs about reindeer, Santa Claus, >snowflakes, and good cheer. > >So when my son's class rose to >sing " Christmas Love " I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. > was aglow, as were all of his classmates, who were >adorned in fuzzy mittens and red sweaters, with bright stocking >caps on their heads. >Those in the front row, center stage, held up large letters, one by one, >to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing > " C is for Christmas " a child would hold up the l! etter " C. " >Then, " H is for Happy, " and on and on, until each child holding >his portion had presented the complete message, " Christmas >Love. " The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly we >noticed her: a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter > " M " upside down. She was unaware that reversed, her letter " M " appeared as >a " W. " >The audience of first- through sixth-graders snickered at this little >one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, >and she stood tall, proudly holding her " W. " > >Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter >continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it >together. A hush came over the audience, and eyes began to widen. >In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why >we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the >chaos there was a purpose for our festivities. >When the last letter was held high, the message read clear: > > " CHRIST WAS LOVE. " > >And I believe He still is. Is that a wonderful story or what? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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