Tidings of Comfort and Joy!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!
It's difficult to put into words what happened last night when I went to church. Though Ron is not a churchgoer (but is not without faith), I don't usually attend church by myself on Christmas eve - usually Scott and Tina and the kids attend with me. Last year - for the first time ever - all of us were there since Laurie, Stephen and Kasey were also home for the holidays. It was an awesome experience to have Laurie bring Kasey up to the choir loft in the balcony so that he could meet my fellow choir members. I joined my family in the pew after the choir's anthem and before long, Kasey was crawling across laps to get to Grandma.
Tina now attends a non denominational church - which is good too because her sister attends that same church and it's good for them to worship together. Tina's family situation isn't too good since she has no communication with her parents and oldest sister.
On Friday when I got home from the hospital, I left our Pastor a message that I was home, but that I would probably miss Christmas eve services. He prayed for me in church yesterday morning. But last night, busy as the day had been (well, for me it seemed a bit busy because I did a few things around the house and went on an outing to the drugstore with Ron) I needed to attend worship. Alone was ok - Christmas eve and Silent Night by candlelight...cannot have one with out the other.
So when I walked into the church narthex last night, so many people asked me how I was feeling...and it was so comforting. And when Pastor Garry and his wife Joanne walked out of his office, their hugs of true Christian love and affection were like a balm to my soul. Not that I haven't felt that warmth before, but with the events of this past week, it's good to feel that Christian love in a hug after knowing their prayers had done so much as well.
The sanctuary was beautiful, the service uplifting and full of the promise of the Christ child, and the love that God rained down on earth so long ago. As I looked around, I began to realize that "Christmas and Easter" worshippers are nearly a thing of the past in our church home. There were lots of new faces as the families and friends of our regular members joined in for worship. I saw two ladies who are ill with cancer and who heard the same message of hope. Ill as they are, their faces reflected the serenity of God's love at work in their lives.
Alone? How could I have thought that I would be alone?
Amidst the greenery, in the sharing of the holy supper, the sharing of the peace....and in the singing of Silent Night as we held our lit votives I was surrounded by family.
And the tidings of comfort and joy that I received last night is what I wish for you today. For those with loved ones far away, and for our military wherever they serve...God bless you for your sacrifice for it is our Armed Forces who help to give us our freedom to worship as we choose.
May the peace of the Christ child be with them - and with you.
Blessed holidays to you all, and love...
Sue