Messiah

One of my favorite events of the season happened last night.  The Messiah sing-along.  This year I was asked to be in the choir, which basically meant sitting at the front and standing up when it was time to sing so everyone would know when to sing.  But for me, it also meant that for the first time ever, I wasn't completely lost!  I borrowed the Messiah CD's from a friend, and practiced singing with them.  It was great!
Handle wrote the Messiah in less than 30 days.  That is utterly amazing.  I have enjoyed the sing-alongs in the past, especially the Hallelujah chorus.  That's everyone's favorite, right?  This year the whole thing touched me a lot more than it has before.  Maybe it will sound strange, but praising God has been on my mind.  We thank Him, we communicate with Him, but how often do we praise God?
As I was participating in this music, I felt like I was praising the Lord.  "Honor, power and glory be unto Him, be unto Him", "Glory to God!  Glory to God!  Glory to God in the Highest!", "Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.  Hallelujah!", "Wonderful!  Counselor!  The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace".  These were the words, and the melodies were just as awesome.  My soul was happy.  Thank you, Handel, for the Messiah.  I believe you did hear the angels singing when you wrote this.  I am grateful for this season to celebrate our beloved Savior's birth, especially through music.