Caroling

I helped take the youth and children's choir around to some memebers of the congregation to sing carols to them. Seeing these dear older people beaming at the kids was very sweet. I do not know how many of the kids saw the looks on their faces. One of them mentioned how each year gets more difficult for her with the loss of friends and that the kids singing made up for that sadness. She had tears in her eyes. I thought to myself how I might feel when I am their age (God willing). Three out of four of the visits were to people who still are able to get to church. We see them there too and they seem basically the same from week to week. It was good to see them in their element for the real people they are. One of the women has been a shut-in for quite some time. She is immobile and was laying on a couch in the hallway of a nursing home. I know she heard us as her eyes were open and a tear came to her eye. We should do this more often. Loneliness must be a huge factor in their lives. I'm not sure how I would fare in the same situation. I have a tendency to look very closely at people eyes and see what is up with them. So even in very old immobile people the eyes say so much. A tear in their eye with all those marvelous kids crowded around them singing with gusto is what makes Christmas more special for both of them. I hope the kids realize how much it means to them. It means a lot to me to see the kids joy and willingness to just naturally go and do this. They are a fantastic group of kids. They drip Jesus very naturally to others and it was obvious it was a joy for the older folks to hear "Joy to the World" and other great carols sung for them on this sixth day of Christmas. I'll be happy to drive again!