My house is all a bustle as we prepare to host family
Christmas next weekend. Last night as I was hanging ornaments, my thoughts
drifted back to my childhood Christmas home. If what comes to your mind is a beautifully
trimmed and decorated tree with elegant ribbon and wrapping underneath, you’d
be mistaken.
We couldn’t afford to buy a Christmas tree. Each year we
would cut our own, not from a Christmas tree farm filled with perfectly shaped
trees, but from an ordinary field with random pine trees. We lived in the
country and would traipse through acres, and often mud, to find a tree that was
remotely the size and shape of a traditional Christmas tree. We’d carry back
our find like a prized trophy, then proceed to cut the branches to somewhat
resemble the right shape. On occasion we’d even cut off a branch and graft it
in with string or wire to cover a gaping hole. Then we’d hang large bulb
lights, add old and often handmade ornaments, and then cover it with as much tinsel
as possible. A handful of tinsel can cover an awful lot of imperfections. The
messy, imperfect tree was fitting for our highly dysfunctional family.
Next came my favorite. We’d set up the manger scene. Ours
was a small, simple manger with an angel with a broken wing, a few animals,
Mary and Joseph, and baby Jesus. I loved the baby Jesus. If there were other
pieces, I don’t remember them. Many years later, when my mom moved in with us,
the manger made it to our house but not the character pieces. Somehow in the
move we’d lost the baby Jesus.
If you are in a place where you don’t feel the presence of
Jesus, know this. While it is possible to lose a baby Jesus, you can’t ever
lose Jesus. Take comfort in that assurance. When our eyes are fixed on ourselves
or on the troubles of the day, we don’t see Him. When our ears are filled with
the siren song of the world or the lies of the enemy, we don’t hear Him. But,
nevertheless, He is there, longing for intimacy with us, ready to carry our
every burden, to break our chains and free us from our fears.
He is the Alpha and Omega, the Lamb of God and the Lion of
Judah. Through Him, all that is, or ever will be, came into being. He is the
lover of your soul, your prince of peace, your good shepherd, your great treasure,
and your savior redeemer. Turn your eyes and see.
©Ann Wilds
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