Last night
I watched the Christmas Devotional
with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
and the First Presidency
of the LDS Church.
Up to that point,
I was Mrs. Scrooge.
Between planning a wedding
and going to El Salvador,
I haven't been very
excited about Christmas.
But the speakers and the music
helped me catch the spirit...
and I'm so glad.
I'm glad that I remembered
what Christmas is really about.
The main thing
that changed my attitude
is a story told by
President Thomas S. Monson.
He told about a time many years ago
in the Atlanta airport,
when because of weather
many many passengers
were stranded on Christmas Eve.
Times like that often
bring out the worst
in people.
People were frustrated,
and angry,
and lonely.
"When an occasional plane
managed to break out,"
President Monson said,
"more travelers stayed behind
than made it aboard.
The words 'standby,'
'reservation confirmed,'
and 'first class passenger' settled priorities
and bespoke money, power,
influence, foresight -- or lack thereof."
There was a young mother
comforting a baby,
a distracted salesman, and a
rich-looking businessman
who seemed unaffected
by the suffering and sadness
around him.
"Suddenly the relative silence
was broken by a commotion.
A young man in military uniform,
no more than 19 years old,
was in animated conversation
with the desk agent.
The boy held a low-priority ticket.
He pleaded with the agent
to help him get to New Orleans
so that he could take the bus
to the obscure Louisiana village
he called home.
"The agent wearily told him
the prospects were poor
for the next 24 hours, maybe longer.
The boy grew frantic.
Immediately after Christmas
his unit was to be sent to Vietnam--
where at that time war was raging--
and if he didn't make this flight,
he might never again spend
Christmas at home."
The agent could offer
sympathy,
but couldn't produce
a ticket.
Finally, after many
long hours, the flight
was announced for boarding.
Tired and weary travelers filled
the plane until
there were no seats left.
The agent looked at
the soldier
and shrugged.
"Inexplicably the businessman
had lingered behind.
Now he stepped forward.
'I have a confirmed ticket,'
he quietly told the agent.
'I'd like to give my seat
to this young man.'
The agent stared incredulously;
then he motioned to the soldier.
Unable to speak,
tears streaming down his face,
the boy in olive drab
shook hands with the man
in the gray flannel suit,
who simply murmured,
'Good luck. Have a fine Christmas.
Good luck.'"
President Monson said that not
very many witnessed what happened
at Gate 67
in the Atlanta airport.
"But for those who did,
the sullenness,
the frustration,
the hostility,
all dissolved into a glow.
That act of love and kindness
between strangers
had brought the spirit of Christmas
into their hearts."
"Finding the real joy of the season
comes not in the hurrying
and the scurrying
to get more done
or in the purchasing of obligatory gifts,"
said President Monson.
"Real joy comes
as we show the
love and compassion
inspired by the Savior of the World."
My heart feels
changed.
I want this Christmas
to be about real joy.
Would you like to watch
the Devotional?
Click here!.
I watched the Christmas Devotional
with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
and the First Presidency
of the LDS Church.
.
Up to that point,
I was Mrs. Scrooge.
Between planning a wedding
and going to El Salvador,
I haven't been very
excited about Christmas.
But the speakers and the music
helped me catch the spirit...
and I'm so glad.
I'm glad that I remembered
what Christmas is really about.
The main thing
that changed my attitude
is a story told by
President Thomas S. Monson.
He told about a time many years ago
in the Atlanta airport,
when because of weather
many many passengers
were stranded on Christmas Eve.
Times like that often
bring out the worst
in people.
People were frustrated,
and angry,
and lonely.
"When an occasional plane
managed to break out,"
President Monson said,
"more travelers stayed behind
than made it aboard.
The words 'standby,'
'reservation confirmed,'
and 'first class passenger' settled priorities
and bespoke money, power,
influence, foresight -- or lack thereof."
There was a young mother
comforting a baby,
a distracted salesman, and a
rich-looking businessman
who seemed unaffected
by the suffering and sadness
around him.
"Suddenly the relative silence
was broken by a commotion.
A young man in military uniform,
no more than 19 years old,
was in animated conversation
with the desk agent.
The boy held a low-priority ticket.
He pleaded with the agent
to help him get to New Orleans
so that he could take the bus
to the obscure Louisiana village
he called home.
"The agent wearily told him
the prospects were poor
for the next 24 hours, maybe longer.
The boy grew frantic.
Immediately after Christmas
his unit was to be sent to Vietnam--
where at that time war was raging--
and if he didn't make this flight,
he might never again spend
Christmas at home."
The agent could offer
sympathy,
but couldn't produce
a ticket.
Finally, after many
long hours, the flight
was announced for boarding.
Tired and weary travelers filled
the plane until
there were no seats left.
The agent looked at
the soldier
and shrugged.
"Inexplicably the businessman
had lingered behind.
Now he stepped forward.
'I have a confirmed ticket,'
he quietly told the agent.
'I'd like to give my seat
to this young man.'
The agent stared incredulously;
then he motioned to the soldier.
Unable to speak,
tears streaming down his face,
the boy in olive drab
shook hands with the man
in the gray flannel suit,
who simply murmured,
'Good luck. Have a fine Christmas.
Good luck.'"
President Monson said that not
very many witnessed what happened
at Gate 67
in the Atlanta airport.
"But for those who did,
the sullenness,
the frustration,
the hostility,
all dissolved into a glow.
That act of love and kindness
between strangers
had brought the spirit of Christmas
into their hearts."
"Finding the real joy of the season
comes not in the hurrying
and the scurrying
to get more done
or in the purchasing of obligatory gifts,"
said President Monson.
"Real joy comes
as we show the
love and compassion
inspired by the Savior of the World."
My heart feels
changed.
I want this Christmas
to be about real joy.
Would you like to watch
the Devotional?
Click here!.
.
p.s. It's snowing really hard.
I just looked out my window
because I heard the
scrape of a snow shovel.
An angel in a puffy blue coat
with the hood tied tight
around his face
is shoveling my driveway.
I can't tell who it is...
and that's probably
exactly what he wants.
Thanks angel...
and here's to
real Christmas joy
for both of us!
