The bells rang loudly. The children sang. The laughter at the parties and the music that they played. The cheerful holiday greetings and the familiar man in red. The ribbons and the wrapping, all the glitter and the lights. The Christmas tree, the Eggnog, and the carolers. Greeting cards and snow flakes. Shopping at the mall. Packages, toy trains, ornaments and tinsel. All images of Christmas but not what I was looking for. I seemed numb to it this year but then I discovered that Christmas was not in all the "ram, pam, pam" or the "jingle all the way." No, for me. The meaning, the feeling I was searching for, would come in a moment, like a love sigh, a whisper of hope, a glimmer of light in the darkness. I remembered it when I heard what I believe was the first time this year, a song played on the car radio. I pulled over to the side of the road, closed my eyes and listened. "That's it!" I shouted. Out of all this pomp and partying it came down to this. I could not find Christmas in the roaring blare of celebration nor in the brightness of the day. For me, perhaps just for me, I found it in the..."Silent Night." As I listened to the radio I remembered the feeling, the peacefulness of it all. Each Christmas when I sing that song at church, I see myself there. Kneeling by the manger unnoticed. An invisible observer of the greatest moment in Christianity. I am not blasted away by the noise of Christmas, but gently caressed, carefully lifted in spirit and bathed by the Light of an infant child who touches my soul...my very being... more than 2000 years after His birth. Read these words slowly, sing it if you care to, one line at a time and see if you can find my Christmas in the "Silent Night"

"Silent Night"

Silent night Holy night
All is calm all is bright
'Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Savior is born;
Christ the Savior is born.

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

May you find peace in the quiet moments of the day and in doing so, feel not only His love, but mine, too, my friend.


 by: Perks, Bob