Take My Hand, and Lead Me to Salvation...

...Take my love, for love is everlasting.

And remember, the truth that once was spoken:

"To love another person is to see the face of God."

And so, I sing. I've been singing all day. I've been singing ever since last night; indeed, I'm pretty sure I was even singing in my dreams. For nearly three hours last evening, I sat captivated by the music and the heart and the grace and the pain and the redemption of the marvelous musical that is Les Miserables. It was epic.

It's tradition in our family to go to a movie on Christmas night. We go every year. I remember seeing The Polar Express on Christmas, 2003 with all five kids, Seth just 3-1/2. It was difficult in those days to find a movie that fit everyone's tastes; we have a wide range of ages and interests. It's still difficult. Last year, we saw Mission Impossible, a bit of a concession for me although I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. This year there was no decision to make; I would see Les Mis. Shulamith could not go because Baby Swen is definitely not movie worthy. This was the first year in many that she wasn't with me at a movie on Christmas night. But there were still Gerald and Isaiah, both of whom would have gladly seen Les Mis. Seth, however, was not so accommodating. He's 12, remember. And a boy. So Gerald kindly volunteered to take him to The Hobbit while Isaiah and I went to Les Mis at the same time in the same theatre.

I don't know much about The Hobbit. I remember trying to read it once but only making it through maybe 10 pages. I used to be able to claim that was because I don't like fantasy. This worked as my excuse for not reading Harry Potter too, that and the fact that a main character in the series is a long, disgusting creature with no arms or legs. Nope, I don't like fantasy. I like books about real people and real things that can really happen. Of course I lost all credibility when Twilight was written, but that's another story. So no, I don't know about The Hobbit, but I cannot imagine a more perfect Christmas movie than Les Miserables, the story of one Jean Valjean and his quest for the courage to love and to forgive and to partake of the gift of redemptive grace.

And so, I sing. I'm sure my family is very tired by now of my singing. Sucks for them.

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes! 

(Christmas, 2012 - Part 1 of 3)