....Until this past weekend when I had a great reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.
Many of you have likely had the privilege of watching your child perform in a Christmas Pageant. You know the excitement of seeing your child re-enact the Christmas story. Unless you are the parent of a child with "special needs." Then maybe your child has been left out. Or possibly worse, he or she has been included, only to stick out like a sore thumb. You are proud of your child but you know the hurt of them not fitting in.
Now imagine a stage filled with smiling children; all with differing abilities.
The angels are there.
And so are the shepherds and stable animals.
The wise men have brought gifts.
Yesterday, with tears streaming down my face, I witnessed the most beautiful portrayal of The Nativity that I have ever seen. "Labels" and "syndromes" were forgotten. Wheelchairs and walkers didn't matter. Perfection took on a new meaning as some of God's very special children shared His very precious story.
Fancy decorations don't matter. Neither do expensive toys and gifts. What does matter is this.....Over 2000 years ago a baby boy was born in a stable, bringing the gift of Hope to the world. Thanks to Hope Landing, that gift of Hope is being shared with children and parents who desperately need it.
{But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11}
18 comments:
How wonderful. Martilee looks absolutely beautiful.
It was a wonderful experience even for those of us who did not have children in the play. To interchange with these children is the most wonderful way to know that there are certainly very special children in this world and the people that work with them are very special people who make them feel special also
Thank you! I have tears stinging my eyes....in a good way! What an uplifting post! God Bless!
How beautiful our sweet girl is.Would have loved to have been there.Give her a hug from Grandma.
Hope...you are so right. Thank you for such a beautiful post!
Vanessa, what a beautiful post as well as a blessed reminder of what Christmas is all about!!!
Thank You for sharing!!! And may I say - that is one beautiful Angel!!!
;-) Robelyn
oh wow! this is really, really neat and a WONDERFUL post! Thanks so much for sharing! Kelly
This is incredibly touching.
Thank you for sharing.
She has to be the world's most beautiful Angel! What a blessing to come home from the hospital and find this post. Will help me get into the Christmas spirit. Such beautiful children that they have at Hope Landing! Merry Christmas to all who were in the pageant and those who attended. Hugs and kissed from Grandpa and Grandma. Love you.
How precious!!! I want to hug the bright star. What a cutey!
Susan at Charm of the Carolines
Loved this post. Brought back memories when I was a kid and was in a pageant every year.
Merry Christmas! Love, Sandy
Love your little angel. Thanks for visiting today. I will remind the readers that I made some changes so hopefully a new subscription will solve that problem. Thanks for reminding me. Happy Christmas.
That is beautiful! Thank you for sharing! As a former children's choir director, I appreciate this all the more. A lot goes into a production like that, and a lot of behind the scenes heartache for the director who is trying to include everyone. What a blessing!
P.S. I like the premium M&Ms, too. ;)
How special, you have found the meaning of Christmas. What a beautiful angel.
I hope you sent a copy to the local paper. What a great job this teacher(s) did. Merry Christmas everyone!
Deb, mom to Rett angel
gWhat a gorgeous Angel you have. You must be so proud. Congratulations and have a very Merry Christmas.
This post brought tears to my eyes as I needed a reminder of what the true meaning of Christmas is all about, and I found it right here. Thank you for that and have a blessed Christmas!
Nessa,
Reading and writing through tears. You are so right.......I loved this post. Your sweet girl is a beautiful little angel. I had a call early this morning from one of my students. He insisted that he had to call "Miss Cindy" to share what Santa had brought. I cannot tell you the joy that I felt in hearing his precious voice describing IN DETAIL every toy he got for Christmas.............especially given the fact that 3 years ago....he barely spoke at all. The thoughtfulness of his parents, taking time to let him call me on Christmas morning and then taking time to thank me for working with their son..........was the best gift ever!
Have a blessed Christmas and hug your angel for me!
Cindy
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