If was allowed to sing one Christmas carol for the rest of my life, I think I would pick Hark the Herald, Angels Sing. This carol is inspired by one of my favourite passages in the Christmas story from Luke 2.
When Jesus was born, there were shepherds nearby who were watching their sheep in the fields. These weren't particularly important people. They were just everyday, ordinary people. Yet, suddenly, they were faced with angels from God, coming to tell them about the birth of a baby in Bethlehem.
"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace on those on whom his favour rests."
Luke 2:13-14
After this, the shepherds go down to see what all the fuss was about. They discover the baby and realise what they heard from the angels was true. And they leave, praising and giving glory to God.
The amazing thing about this story is that these shepherds were the very first people chosen to see the baby Jesus. Despite being the King of the world, He was born in a stable and the first people to see Him were the shepherds from the fields nearby.
It might not always be what we expect, but God is always working things out for His good.
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