For the past few years, it hasn't been as good. Grandma and Dede grow older and weaker, so we haven't been able to have Christmas at our own house. It really makes a huge difference for me. This year, however, my dad had to work Christmas day and Christmas Eve, so everyone had to come to our house. It was such a relief.
Emilie and Talon came on Friday, and then everyone else followed. It was so nice to have everyone in one place. The only person we were missing was Dede. And of course I would have loved to have Matt with us, and Heather would have loved to have Seth with her, but that's okay.
Our house was filled with joy and laughter. The tree was filled with presents. That was pretty exciting to see!
On Christmas day, we opened our presents like normal people. My parents bought me a picture of Christ, which I knew about because I had to pick it out. Heather got me...... the Froggy bathroom set!!!!
We went to church at 11. I sat there thinking about the greatest gift that God has given us, and it is his Atoning Sacrifice. There is no way better to spend Christmas than going to church and remembering Him.
So it was pretty good and it seems like it couldn't get that better. Well, it did.
Four days before Christmas, the 22nd, a boy in my school passed away. I can't even imagine how broken his family felt and the same goes for his friends. He was such a nice boy who spread joy to everyone around him.
Some of his best friends are in Madrigals. At about 3:00 in the afternoon, I got a text saying that we were going to carol to this family at 6:00 that night. There was no hesitation in my mind.
The time came for me to leave my house, and I went. I was even early. As I was driving down the road, I prayed that we would spread the joy of Christ to the family in their time of mourning. The meeting place was filled with people. We sang a little together, and then said I group prayer, which I said. The house was just down the street, so we walked there.
I can hardly find the words to describe this experience. Our voices meshed so well for the first time in a while. I could feel everyone, including the family, enjoying every moment of the music. I was bawling like a little baby. The third note of the song didn't even come out. As we sang "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night," I could feel the Spirit testifying that Christ lives, that He came to the earth to save everyone. We cried because we could feel the joy of Christmas, the true meaning of Christmas. In that home, we brought hope.
That, my friends, was the highlight of my Christmas. And it was a really good Christmas before that, so it is really saying a lot. It is one experience that I will never forget, and neither will any of the people that shared those precious moments. That is the definition of a Christmas Miracle.
So to all the Eastman family, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for letting the Madrigals come into your home. We appreciate it so much. Sonia Rollins later said in a text, "This is the reason why we sing, the reason why we are all a part of Madrigals, so we can learn and grow from each other and from the experiences that we have shared and will yet share." You helped us find each other again. Thank you.
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