This weekend we went to see the Christmas show at our church, Twin Lakes Church. It was phenomenal! They did 10 productions of the show and from what I understnad, each one was packed out! (You should check out some clips of the show over the last couple of years on youtube...it is that good!) Anyhow, during the show, there was a rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and while listening to the song, one line of the lyrics struck me. It's a part that you would probably recognize..."O tidings of comfort and joy...comfort and joy...O tidings of comfort and joy."
I was struck by the words because if there were ever a year that I needed to hear "tidings of comfort and joy," it was this year. but I hadn't made any particular connection between our pain from losing Hope and the comfort and joy (which we so desperately needed) given in the birth of Jesus. Clearly, we have looked to God as our comfort, but I hadn't really thought of Christmas as a specific reminder of that. (Yes, it seems obvious, but somehow that's how these things work. )
This reminder was particularly needed, as Christmas is also the time of year that Hope was due to be born. So we've been reminded often of the loss of her life and our pain surrouding her loss, since, had we not lost her, we would have been having a new baby this Christmas.
So, just what were the tidings of comfort and joy? According to the lyrics, the tidings were: "Remember, Christ, our Saviour was born on Christmas day, to save us all from Satan's power when were were gone astray."
I'm glad these words were brought to my attention and I've had some time to think them through. For years to come, when I hear this song, I'll be reminded of this Christmas, of grieving Hope's loss during the Christmas of 2010, and of the reminder of tidings of comfort and joy.
Merry Christmas!
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
While we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
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