Years ago at Christmas time my mother was ill and death was eminent for her.  So we had called in hospice and placed her in a nursing home with palliative care.  Almost immediately she was in a comatose stage, with very little response to any of us, with only an occasional time when she would refer to little children memories of us, but nothing of us as adults with children of our own.

I have eight siblings so we had a regiment to have two of us there at all times for Mom and for support to each other.

My mother was Jehovah’s Witness therefore we did not celebrate the birth of Christ as children, nor understood the significance.  As we all grew to adults we never went to that church anymore and most of us have become Christians.

Although mom did not believe in Christmas, one of my sisters and I decided that we needed Christ in the room for us and because we were sure that we were going to spend Christmas at the nursing home that year.  We decorated her room with a small Christmas tree, ornaments, and played Christmas carols.

Much of the day had gone by, and my sister and I were enjoying the holiday sounds and even an occasional visitor would stop by in the doorway just to listen to the music.  Mom remained silent and unresponsive.  We prayed over her for a peaceful journey and that she would receive Christ before she died.  We reminisced of our childhood, and at times just sat in silence.

Then the song “Joy to the World” came on, and this little lady that had been hanging outside the door listening to the music rolled in with her wheel chair, ignoring me and my sister and went straight to Mom, held her hand and started singing in her feeble voice.  My sister and I joined in.  Mom open her eyes sat up and sang the entire song with her. Neither of the ladies even acknowledged that we were in the room.  When the song was over mom laid back down to her usual state and the little lady rolled out still not acknowledging us.  We were both in awe of that moment and were sure angels singing too.

When you read the words, “Joy to the World, the Lord is come! …. Let every heart prepare Him room… No more let sins and sorrow grow… And wonders of his love”!  I am sure at that moment while singing mom did receive Jesus in her heart and will be waiting in heaven for us one day.

Joy to the World, the Lord is 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.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.