This is what Christmas is all about

Yesterday I went with a group of women from church to sing at a nursing home. We sang about 5 songs. People were wheeled in on wheel chairs to sit and listen. Some sang along loudly, others just sat not being able to say anything at all. As we were leaving we smiled warmly and thanked them for coming to hear us sing.

I felt I wanted to do something more for each of them, but didn't know what. My heart was overflowing with emotion and gratitude but, I didn't know quite how to express it. Then, one of my Young Women reached down and gave a woman, seated up front in her wheelchair, a hug. It gave me the courage to do the same. As I hugged this woman I thought about when the last time she was touched, really touched with a warm, loving embrace. After hugging her, I continued to hug more seated nearby. As I looked up, I saw that everyone from our group was doing the same, thanks to that sweet young woman who set an example.

I couldn't help but think about this moving story in the Book of Mormon that recounts the appearance of our resurrected Savior to a group of people called the Nephites:

"And it came to pass that
the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the
prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going
forth one by one until they had all gone forth..."

Each and every person was touched by the Savior. Each and every one. Touch is extremely powerful, especially to those that don't get touched very often. This was a special experience for me and as we were leaving I thought of another scripture from James:

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world."

I was reminded that doing things like this is what Christmas is all about, it's what life is all about really, but especially at Christmastime.