Whadja get for Christmas?????

One of the questions asked most often at this time of year...What did you get for Christmas???
Most of the time the answer is something that was purchased at a store, or made by loving hands...and occasionally it is a true gift of the heart...which is what happened to the Taylors, specifically Mark, this year......In order to appreciate this gift, a little back story:
We have a really great Ward organist. Ted Roberts plays very well...with great spirit and emotion...all the Taylors appreciate how well he plays and do our best to let him know that........Our dear friend, Dana Garrett, is an extraordinarily talented pianist....she has a natural talent, you know, that touch that you really have to born with...and we love hearing her play...

So early in December, Dana and Ted played a Piano/Organ duet in Sacrament meeting...a very stirring, moving arrangement of "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing." It would take a pretty cold hearted person not to be touched by the music....and as I sat there listening, I was so sorry that Mark had begun his holiday schedule of working on Sunday, and had missed this special number...after the meeting, I told Dana that there was no one in that congregation that enjoyed their number more than Mark would have.......her response surprised me....she said that maybe she and Ted could play it again for Mark some evening before Christmas.....I told her that I loved her for even thinking of that, but that Mark worked late just about every evening until Christmas, and the few that he didn't were already busy........she said, Well, we'll just have to do it late one night, after he gets home........and she didn't forget about it....we picked a night...the Friday before Christmas, and a time....10:30 at night...Ted often plays the organ at the Temple and would be playing that night, with the session ending at 10:00, so he was all good with coming to the church instead of straight home...

My part in all of this was to get Mark to the church without him knowing what was going on....so I called Dana and told her that I was going to lie to Mark....she relayed that information to the Bishop, which is easier than you might think since he was standing right next to her...Bishop Garrett replied...."Not my problem...." Then I said..."Well...I'm going to tell Mark that the Bishop called and INSISTED on talking to me that night...in his office...along with Mark....at 10:30 as he knew Mark worked late..........Bishop's reply was...."O brother! Don't get me involved!!!" But that was the plan.....and we stuck to it...when Mark got home around 9:40, I gave him the story......and he bought it...he thought it was very strange, but he reluctantly bought it...Chanel asked if she could come along...just in case we needed moral support....so at 10:20 we all drove over to the church...there were a couple other cars in the parking lot that Mark recognized...."Uh-oh" he said..."Must be somthin' goin on..."
We walked in and I went straight to the Chapel door...."We're not meeting in there" he said....but I just kept walking..........in the chapel, Dana and Ted were playing a soft Christmas hymn......The Bishop, and their daughter Lexi, Ted's wife Dixie, and Bill Boland were the only people in the softly lit chapel...Dana had arranged a lighted evergreen garland around the podium and placed one of her beautiful big Nativity sets on the front edge of the pulpit....the only other light was up on the stand so they could see their music....Mark still didn't know that we were all there just for him......then Lexi handed him a scroll...Chanel helped him open it, as I whispered..."This is just for you..."
No one spoke as we took our seats in the middle of the Chapel....and there in the soft light, hushed with reverence, the concert began.....What had been a single hymn in church had become a gift of several Christmas hyms.
They played six or more renditions of the most beautiful Christmas carols I have ever heard....the Chapel absolutely rang with majesty and beauty of the music...



When they were finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the group...I sat there listening, marvelling and realizing that I was seeing true friendship and love in action...there were hugs all around, delight in the surprise, and love expressed to each other........we left there feeling so blessed, so grateful, so uplifted...we had all been given a beautiful gift of self......truly a gift from the heart....