Hark! the Hera…….? Angels we Have Heard on

Are you singing yet?  ;o) Humming the tune—at least in your head—to finish the incomplete subject line of this email? And I bet that, although the lyrics have lain dormant in your mind for a year, they arise and flow past your lips perhaps effortlessly! Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the Newborn King…….

Good Morning, 12th Mile Runners!  Merry Christmas….

Christmas Carols. A radio station here in Grand Rapids, MI, calls them a Peppermint Mocha for the heart. Comforting. Fun. Inspiring. Sometimes, in the context of our life stuff, they bring tears. Interestingly, tears were part of their design. Their creation was often built on hardship, loss, and even persecution. Silent Night, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and even the playful spirit of The Twelve Days of Christmas all come from hard life-things. The words and music speak from broken places. Whether we realize it or not, we affirm the power of their stories every time we sing them. 

 A recent surprise to me was that even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is no exception. We recognize it as an innocent, childlike song. Many of us have seen the 1964 heartwarming animated musical, which unfolds the entire story and is a delight for both young and old. However, this whimsical tale was created out of circumstances that were beyond hard… and they were harder still.

In 1938, the United States was emerging from the Great Depression and looking toward better days. Bob May, a painfully underpaid but exceptional advertising copywriter for Montgomery Ward, had his heart set on brighter days for very personal reasons. His family’s living expenses were outpacing his meager salary. The situation was made even harder still by the expensive and demanding medical treatments his wife, Evelyn, needed as she battled cancer. Amid these struggles was their four-year-old daughter, Barbara, who was confused about why their family was so different from other families. Hard.

But Christmas was coming. What in the world could this beleaguered father give his little girl for Christmas? May’s daughter loved her daddy’s stories. So, out of desperation fueled by love, May created a tale about a reindeer named Rudolph. Rudolph was different from everyone else, which drew unkind attention from his peers. Drawing on May’s boyhood experiences, Rudolph’s story began to take shape. May’s artistic gift led him to create a delightful storybook for his little girl. May wanted to help his daughter begin to understand the surprising blessings found in embracing one’s own uniqueness. This is what Rudolph ultimately discovered.  

Tragically, Evelyn passed away before Christmas. Bob and Barbara were filled with grief. Even though Bob hardly felt like it, he was determined to finish his daughter’s story. He believed this uplifting tale of Rudolph was exactly what Barbara needed. Bob focused on finishing what he had begun.

On Christmas morning, Bob read the story of Rudolph to Barbara.  This precious girl, although deeply grieved by her mom’s passing, was nevertheless delighted by the story her daddy had created for her. Together, Bob and Barbara began telling more tales about Rudolph, and it was an incredible comfort to both of them.

Days later, Bob May was required to attend a Christmas office party. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but he went. Bob’s colleagues encouraged him to share Rudolph with everyone in the company. The result? Bob received an unexpected standing ovation.

Over the days and months that followed, and through the twists and turns of his journey, Bob’s beautiful story was printed millions of times. His brother-in-law adapted the tale into a song. Ultimately, the song gained acclaim through the country singer Gene Autry. And…eventually it became a movie that has delighted children for over 60 years.

Rudolph’s remarkable success lifted Bob and his daughter out of crippling debt, preventing bankruptcy. It was an incredible blessing Bob never imagined. Although he still felt Evelyn’s loss deeply, the beautiful story created for his daughter and now shared everywhere helped Bob support himself and Barbara.

As you read this, I have no idea how it might speak to you today. Wherever you are as you celebrate the gift of Jesus this Christmas, please know that there has always been a plan uniquely crafted for you, one step at a time. So let’s take our next best step. We take it with the One who sees us…right where we are! In that truth, we can sing, Joy to the World!

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…Jeremiah 29:11

Source: Ace, Collins. 2001. Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. 1st ed. Zondervan.