The Ornaments On Our Tree
Every
year, from the time they were each born, Kim and I have purchased each of our
children a new Christmas ornament. That means they each have one ornament for
every year of their life. Thus, at this point we have almost 60 ornaments on
our Christmas tree that belong to our kids representing the years of the lives.
In
addition, Kim and I have ornaments that represent various time periods and
aspects of our lives. There is the ornament for our first year of marriage. We
have ornaments that represent Kim’s years of music ministry. There is even one that represents my years of
pastoring. And, many of our ornaments,
since they were given to us as gifts, remind us of the many people who have
been part of our lives; people whom we remember as we hang the ornament they
gave to us on our tree.
I
find it fascinating at this point to look at our tree and try to think through
each of the years represented by the ornaments hung on it and all that has
taken place throughout those years. In
some ways, the ornaments on our tree are more than mere decorations that fill
its branches. So many of them have a
story behind them—even a person behind them. They are markers of our life
together as a family. They are reminders of what our lives have been like for
the past 27 years first as a couple and then as a family. And, they speak to us of the many years God
has been faithful to take care of us—to bring us to another Christmas.
The
Bible shows us, it is good to reflect and remember. The psalmist wrote, “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your
miracles of long ago.” (Psalm 77:11
– NIV) Elsewhere he wrote, “Praise
the Lord, O my soul, and forget not his benefits.” (Psalm 103:2 – NIV) As Jesus gave his disciples
the bread and the cup he said to them, “Do
this in remembrance of me.” (Luke
22:19 – NIV) We are taught to find ways
to remember God and his work within our lives—sometimes even through little
things like a piece of bread and a cup of wine.
This
Christmas Season, let’s look for the little things that can help us remember
the goodness, grace, and love that God has shown to us through the sending of
his Son, Jesus. As we come to another
Christmas, let’s allow the symbols of the season to remind us of the
faithfulness of God.
Have
a great day!
Pastor
Tim Harris
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