Breath of Heaven.

On Sunday night, after our Congregational Christmas Potluck, we had a special worship service at church - it's the "hanging of the greens" service which commemorates the beginning of two things - the new church year and the beginning of Advent.
The sanctuary looks so beautiful - wreaths on all the windows, pine garlands adorning the walls, the Christmas trees. We do this to prepare for Jesus' birth - to welcome Him with praise and thankgiving.
And so, the special service is wonderful - music, special Scripture readings and a thoughtful homily. At this point, I'm going to ask you to recall a post I wrote back in the summer about a young woman - a daughter of our congregation who gave birth to a Downs Syndrome baby with some serious health problems. God has brought them through it all and the baby is doing well. Anyway, this young woman - Emily - sings as beautifully as a lark. She and her husband and his family are very active in a music ministry in their own church, but it's been difficult for them to participate in this ministry with the baby's health problems.
On Sunday night, we were gifted to have them take part in the service. And Emily sang Breath of Heaven - otherwise known as Mary's Song. It's lyrics are meant to be Mary speaking to God - asking Him to be with her on the road He is asking her to travel by giving birth to His Son. The words are spoken from a mother's heart - fear for what is ahead, darkness
lit only by His love. In her clear and wonderful voice, Emily sang with her whole heart - and anyone who knows what God has asked her to bear, could only hear her accceptance and her faith. It was so poignant - and so beautiful. I wouldn't have ever had the strength to sing that song - but God knew that she did. It was a blessing to all who were there - and though my eyes welled with tears, the smile on my face won out because of the beauty of the moment. There were no questions from Emily - no "Why us Lord?" Just a heartfelt and faith filled song. And it was like feeling A Breath of Heaven.
Mary and Emily - two young moms born two thousand years apart. They were asked to bear great burdens.
And yet ~ their faith was much greater than the burden.

Blessings,
Sue