Rehearsal

We're gearing up for the big Christmas Festival at Mackenzie's school. We've been putting hours and hours and hours into memorizing and rehearsing all three verses of her solo, Silent Night.

Growing up this song was never one of my favorites. It was too slow for me. Now, having practiced it over and over and singing it to Mackenzie again and again, I've grown to like it a lot more.

Today, however, I was blown away. Mackenzie had her first practice with the pianist after school. She was standing next to the piano in a dimly lit room. When the piano started to play, Mackenzie straightened up and got a look of total concentration with a little girly sweetness mixed in. The yellow light from the lamp above the piano framed her face in golden light.

I pictured her on Saturday in full angel regalia but the wings and halo were not needed today. Her heart was in it and she already looked like an angel singing at Jesus' birth.

I couldn't help but to think of Jesus and the other angels gathering around in heaven just to take a look at little Mackenzie singing about His birth. I could see their smiles and wide eyes as they looked with pride at a soul still so pure.

It wasn't perfect. It wasn't totally in tune. She forgot the words once or twice. None of that mattered. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought of how blessed I am to have been given this child, how happy Jesus must be with her efforts, how amazed I am at the gift of motherhood.

Whatever will I do come Saturday when she's got the microphone, wings and her halo?