This year, in the midst of all the holiday hoopla, there were two times the world stood still for a bit. At least for me. I was so grateful for the beautiful stillness as we experienced some heart-healing at the Cathedral of the Madeleine…and our church too.
As I mentioned a few posts ago, we have been surrounded by so much death and sickness among loved ones intermixed with this holiday season.
There were times where I wished the whole world could stand still. I mean, it didn’t seem right for all the lights and jolliness to carry on when so much darkness was seeping in.
We are still carrying the heaviest hearts for those we have lost. For their families we love.
But there were two experiences we had this Christmas that were so sacred to me.
Two times when the continual motion that comes with holidays did seem to take a pause, at least in my heart.
The Cathedral of the Madeleine
The first was at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. Dave and I were there for my uncle’s funeral the next day.
My Utah family loves the Christmas Carol service there and tries to go every year. I think it was more than a coincidence that my sister had two extra tickets the very evening Dave and I were in town.
That gorgeous cathedral was filled to the brim with parts of my family as well as people from all different backgrounds feeling the beauty of that incredible choir of singers. Some of the notes just hanging in the air they were so beautiful accompanied by the acoustics of that cathedral.
We stood and sang along with so many Christmas Carols, filling up that cavernous spot with love. Love for each other. So much love for humanity. Love for that baby Jesus.
My favorite part was when we stood and sang “Oh Come Let Us Adore Him.” The swell of all those different voices lifting up to Heaven in adoration of that Christ-child.
It reminded me once again that even though we don’t “have this,” God does.
How grateful I am for the Savior whose birth we celebrate this time of year. That because of Him, that little Baby in that stable all those years ago, all of this will make sense some day.
“Oh Come Let Us Adore Him.”
Our church on Christmas Eve
In addition to those we lost among our relatives, a young couple we love passed away in a horrible accident. They were en route home to the desert for Christmas. Both of their families are in our church congregation.
Once again, please stop, world.
And once again, it almost felt as if it did at our church service on Christmas Eve. That packed chapel was filled to the brim with people who adore those families. Every talk, every song, every reminder of Jesus seemed to just speak to us all. Love just tangible, laid on thick in the air. At the end of the meeting we all knelt for a special ward prayer.
Yes, the world stopped just for a moment.
And then so many hugs and so much more love. The most special Christmas Eve I think we will all carry with us for a long time.
I don’t know how to make sense of all the hard things that happen in life. But I do know God does. I’m so grateful He sent that tiny baby to that Mother Mary in that stable to save us all. And to help us find the stillness in the storms that come our way.
And how grateful I am to feel His love in these moments as the world quieted and was still this Christmas. How I pray these families will be able to keep Him close. And find the stillness that has the power to help heal broken hearts.
