The Debut

My husband has a gorgeous voice, but he has never sung a solo or duet except when he does the communion liturgy. There is a woman in our church who has a wonderful and powerful voice and she has been asking him to sing with her for the last two and a half years. And he finally did last night.

As an introduction to the song, he asked the congregation at our 10:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service to think about children who may not be what we typically think of on Christmas morning. Children in foster care and those waiting to be adopted, children in Zimbabwe who are eating seed corn that falls off of trucks, and the many other children in our world who are hungry or hurting.

And so as I sat sandwiched between Leon and Wilson, both of them affectionate and loving, and my husband singing the duet, tears filled my eyes and I was completely content, knowing that we are doing what God calls us to do, hard as it is sometimes. And the song that they sung, written by Carlton Young, has become my prayer for everyone today:

“Star child, earth child, go-between of God;
love child, Christ child, heaven’s lightening rod.
This year, this year, let the day arrive;
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive.

Street child, beat child, no place left to go;
hurt child, used child, no one wants to know.
This year, this year, let the day arrive;
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive.

Grown child, old child, memory full of tears;
sad child, lost child, story told in years.
This year, this year, let the day arrive;
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive.

Spare child, spoiled child, having, wanting more;
wise child, faith child, knowing joy in store.
This year, this year, let the day arrive;
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive.

Hope for peace child, God’s stupendous sign,
down-to-earth child, star stars that shine.
This year, this year, let the day arrive;
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive.”