Christmas Music

One sure sign of Advent season in our home is the breaking out of the Christmas music case. During our nine years of married life, we've been adding CDs in French and in English to our collection. Now it overflows out of the plastic CD case that seemed almost too big at one time.

Since moving to France for the first time in 1988, there have been 18 Christmases. I've been overseas for 12 Christmases and in the U.S. for 6 of them. For the overseas ones especially, familiar Christmas music has been part of the Advent season.

We haven't gotten too far into our Christmas music collection this Advent. My favorite oldies so far have been John Featherstone's "Voici Noël, vivons la fête" and Twila Paris' rendition of "In the Bleak Midwinter."

I have found it harder this Advent to get into the spirit of the season. Some external circumstances, such as fighting an annoying cough for over a week, having a 10 month old still waiting for her first teeth, and major transitions in some of the ministries in which we are involved have all been challenges. Compared to my single days or even my time as a young married, life with 3 young kids seems like a state of constant and frenetic business.

In some ways, being sick has been helpful in having to slow down some. During some of my forced afternoon rest times, I'm able to pray. A number of our friends here are in situations where they really need prayer support. One is feeling the weight of leading a ministry to those with eating disorders, but not having the spirititual support of his church. Another one is in a really bad work situation here.

I'm also feeling compelled to pray for our neighborhood and section of Paris. I want to see God break through into more lives here. Jesus came into the world in a specific place at a specific time and engaged the people then and there. He "tabernacled" among us (John 1:14). That is the kind of Christmas music that I want to produce all year around.