Grace Lutheran Early Childhood Center does a wonderful Christmas program every year and this year Kenidee got to be a part of the festivities! The storyline came from an e-mail that goes something like this....
The "W" in Christmas
Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.
My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snow caps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."
The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:
"C H R I S T W A S L O V E" And, I believe, He still is. Amazed in His presence....humbled by His love.
Kenidee LOVES getting dressed up! Heath and I are in BIG trouble!
Our little social butterfly! She is friends with everyone!
She loves to pose for pictures!
Kenidee and Colton, my brother's son. They are best friends and I am so happy that they get to go to school together!
Kenidee knew exactly where I was sitting with the camera and couldn't resist playing "Peek-a-Boo" with me! What a stinker!
Singing is one of Kenidee's favorite things to do!
"S is for Storybooks!"
"E is for Everything!"
Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for the gift of His son Jesus Christ and we are so fortunate that we are able to celebrate that gift loud and clear this year! I really do love that God is a part of my family's everyday life and we are able to celebrate His gifts on a daily basis! If I could give one gift to the world it would be to openly celebrate Jesus Christ our Savior daily without having to worry about who is listening! What a wonderful thing it is to share His love on a daily basis!
