by Cherrilynn Bisbano @BisbanoWrites

Merry Christmas!  I cherish each of you and desire to break from my book proposal series to wish you a blessed holiday season. As I write, my son is watching worship videos. Music is part of our morning routine before we start homeschooling. He chose, “Oh Come Let Us Adore Him,” and doesn’t know I’m writing about Christmas.

I know many of you will have an empty chair at the table this holiday. Like me. My heart still aches over the many losses our family has encountered during the last 18 months. I’ve decided, however, to celebrate life this Christmas instead of mourning. Yes, I will have waves of sorrow that try to dim the lights or take away from the meaning of the season, but my loved ones would not want me to be distraught. To honor their lives, I chose to sing!

Did you know singing releases endorphins? It’s like soul exercise and it gets more oxygen into the blood for better circulation, which tends to promote a good mood. No wonder God calls us to sing, even though my voice will never get me a seat on the choir bench.

Psalm 100:1-2, “Make a joyful noise…come into His presence with singing.”  I’m glad God hears my heart, not my squeal.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is “O Holy Night.” The words of the song declare freedom—freedom from the effects of sin, darkness, and hopelessness.

So, I sing, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining until HE appeared, and the soul felt it’s worth!”

My spirit leaps for joy as I continue to sing, but the effects of grief remain in my body.

I continue to sing.

“His law is love and his gospel is peace.”

Peace pursues me as I continue on to my favorite line of the song.

“Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother and in His name, all oppression shall cease.”

I wonder if the spiritual realm hears my chains of overwhelming sadness hit the floor as I sing,

“Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices. Oh night divine, Oh night that Christ was born.”

Tears of joy and thanksgiving splash next to the invisible chains and my spirit is lifted.

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, many need relief from the chains of doubt, worry, sin, and unbelief. Perhaps you are overwhelmed with the business of the season, financial burdens, relationship issues, or health concerns. Remember the babe in a manger is the Messiah. He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 61: 1 (NIV)

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

Jesus declared that He is the fulfillment of this prophecy in Luke 4:18.

I envision people walking out of jail cells with no shackles, their heads lifted high to greet the sun. They’ve encountered Emmanuel, God with us.  Their burden subsides as they walk with the one who brings Joy to the World.

Come on, I know you want to sing it! Go for it!

Joy to the world, the Lord has come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing!

I feel better, how about you?

What effect do Christmas carols have on you? What is your favorite and why?

Join the conversation.

Cherrilynn Bisbano is the founder of The Write Proposal book proposal services.

As managing editor of Almost an Author, she helped the website earn the #6 spot on the Top 100 best writing websites for 2018 by The Write Life and Top 101 Websites for writers with Writers Digest.

Cherrilynn is a speaker with Women Speakers. Her topics include leadership, book proposals, and the Bible. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. You can find her published in Southern Writers, More to Life (MTL), Christian Rep, Christian Voice, Refresh and other online magazines. Cherrilynn is a contributor to Selah-nominated Breaking the Chains, Heart Reno, and Chicken Soup for the Soul-Miracles books.