Christmas...
For most of my teenage and adult years Christmas was just another day, like a Friday or Monday or even Tuesday. The whole holiday cheer had lost its "magic" if you will. It was no longer something that I anticipated or "felt". Perhaps because it had become so commercialized or maybe as a kid Christmas was all about the anticipation of presents and all the other things about the significance of this holiday became peripheral or maybe because my perspective on life had a very radical change when I gave my life to Christ when I was 17 yrs old. Who knows?
However, recently I had a revival of sorts when I was in a panic to find a song idea to sing at church for a Christmas themed service. I happened upon this video while frantically searching youtube for ideas and was immediately captivated by it but thought it would be too hard to sing to specifically because every time I heard it I immediately heard Josh Groban in my head and I am not that type of vocalist, far from it. However being that there weren't any other options available I was forced to do this one. (I think with some Divine nudging as well) Up until this point I had never heard the song O Come Emmanuel and was totally unfamiliar to the rhythm of it, so I copied the lyrics and put the video on my ipod so I could "absorb it" in a rapid fashion... a few days really.
What happened as a result was God got a hold of my heart again through the music, video and lyrics and reminded me once again of the reason. The reason to believe, to fight, to live, to forgive and to love and to allow myself to be forgiven and loved... Emmanuel, the fulfillment of God's promise to me, to us... Emmanuel, "God with us"
Anyway if you take the time to read this and watch the clip I hope that it blesses you as it has blessed me.
Merry Christmas guys!!!
Ken
