It's been a hectic month for me so far, with my workload at the church magnified by the holiday season. I haven't even had time to blog a few words! In fact, the theme of rest has come to the top of my mind lately. I'm badly in need of rest for body, soul and mind. But not until Christmas is passed!
Speaking of moments of peace, a week ago one of my coworkers came up to me and asked me to scan images from a book he was using during a banquet. The book was a holiday classic: "The Night Before Christmas." It was a beautifully illustrated publication that recaptured my fancy. I became a 6-year-old again and started reading: "Twas the night before Christmas and all though the house..." I slowly scanned the pages. "What amazing poetry!" I thought. Well written and imaginative, I thought of all the great narrations I have heard of this poem through the years. In my mind, I imagined Burl Ives reading this lyric in his best storyteller mode. But it had been years since I had heard the Christmas classic, so I thought the world needed another "Night Before Christmas" fix. And so I asked a friend of mine, George Beach, to read the story into a microphone, using his best narrator's voice. George seems to be just discovering that his voice, which he calls "hick," is actually a treasure and not something shameful. He has a deep Southern drawl with a gravely texture that instantly sends your mind and heart into a really good Western, or maybe into an old-fashioned country ball. I could listen to George speak for hours.
Alas, dear friends, I have decided to share with you only three minutes. It's the entire poem, which I have put with the illustrations I scanned. I hope you enjoy it! Get ready... for a really cool Christmas tale...
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