¹ Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
² Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

– Psalm 150 (NIV)

As I prepare for Christmas, I’m reminded of the gift of singing and what it can do for one’s heart. Growing up, whether she was in the kitchen, living room, dining area or sitting with a magazine, my Mother Dearest was singing. She never sang in a choir but she lifted her voice in praise. Years later, I understood that singing for her was a way to not only praise God, but to pray and to receive joy and strength through difficult times. Mother Dearest loved Christmas the best, and listening to her sing carols and hymns in Spanish or English was fun for my brothers and I. Sometimes we would join in, but mostly we left her to sing on her own. Today, I can still hear her angelic voice and it too brings joy to my healing heart. 

I pray that this traditional hymn in our family’s native language of Spanish fills your heart with hope, joy and love this Christmas.

Feliz Navidad!

By Sandy Diaz