There is a Christmas tradition that I am very fond of (well actually, there are many that I am fond of, but I will save those for another time). At my home church’s Christmas Eve service we spend time singing Christmas carols. There comes a moment in the evening when we sing Go Tell it on The Mountain. But this isn’t your normal rendition of this beautiful song; no, for every verse a different group of people go up on stage to sing. Whether it is all the young girls who run up there, the youth group, the moms, or the elders of the church, each verse is joyfully sung, on and off key.
This Christmas will always stand out in my mind as one full of joy, celebration, new traditions, but also many tears! This month has probably been the hardest so far in terms of homesickness. I found myself wishing away the time as we anticipated the arrival of Christmas. I found myself praying that I would just make it through the season, and looking forward to the time that I could be at home to celebrate with family again. But sitting in the middle of Uganda, stripped of my beloved Christmas traditions, I found the sweetest gift of all!
Two nights before Christmas I stood on the side of a mountain singing Go Tell it on the Mountain in front of a random house in the village of Maya. That’s when it struck me – as I wish away the this time because of homesickness, I wish away the blessing of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. I wish away the opportunity to experience new traditions; I wish away the time of celebration with my Ugandan family; I wish away the joy that only comes from celebrating the birth of my Savior!
I was standing on a mountain, singing Go Tell it on the Mountain, in the middle of Uganda!
Why would I wish that moment away? I can love home, and the traditions that we have at Christmas time, but this kind of opportunity doesn’t come along every year! A wise young woman who has committed to serving here in Uganda shared some wise words with me a few nights later, “I get to spend eternity praising God alongside my family! I only have one life on this earth though, so why would I not spend it proclaiming His Gospel to as many people as I can?”
That’s when the joy flooded over! An unexplainable joy that can only be found in the Divine being manifested in the humble and vulnerable form of a baby! A joy so pure that I cannot imagine being anywhere else, but rather cherish the memories I have with fondness, and pursue new ones with enthusiasm!
So as I sang Go Tell it on the Mountain on the side of a mountain, I thought back with thankfulness on previous Christmases. Those traditions will now hold deeper meaning in the future as I remember this Christmas!
