Picking A Christmas tree!
Christmas was only days away, and we still didn't have a tree. Living
on a college-student's budget with a baby on the way made it hard to
spend $25.50 on something we didn't need. It seemed kind of trivial
when I told God how sad I felt that we couldn't afford a Christmas
tree. Then I felt guilty knowing
there were children starving in Africa and people who needed so much
more than us.
Yet, God didn't think it was selfish. Instead He provided. The Sunday
before Christmas we discovered a nearby tree lot had marked all the
trees down to
$10!
When my husband came home from classes Monday evening we hurried to
the tree lot.
As we walked down each row, I looked for just the right spruce to fit
in the corner of our one-bedroom apartment. For this pregnant woman,
choosing a tree was almost like choosing our child's name. I took way
too much time!
The sun went down quickly, they turned the spotlights off, and the
tree lot turned
pitch dark.
My creative and very patient husband pulled our car into the rows of
trees and flashed on his high beams. The bright lights dispelled the
darkness and standing
in front of me was the most precious little tree I'd ever seen.
Although it had some droopy branches and a gap on one side, I pointed
and said, "That's
the one I want!"
Later that night, I sat on our couch, looking at my cute little
spruce pine, reminiscing about our evening. I'd felt sad earlier,
when the darkness made it
impossible to see the trees, but when the beams of light illuminated
the lot, my heart filled with hope. Etched in my mind was a picture I
wouldn't forget,
a picture that drew me back to another time marked by darkness--a
time when I wasn't choosing, but needed to be chosen.
Just when it felt like all my dreams had died and my hope was gone,
God's Light punctured the clouds of depression surrounding my mind as
His love poured into my heart. It happened on another cold winter's
eve when God looked at me and
said, "That's the one I want!"
At some point in our lives, I think most of us can identify with that
little tree. Scarred by disappointments, we wonder if anyone would
ever choose us. With gaps that make us feel like candidates for
rejection we hope no one will see the holes in our hearts. Like the
fate of my little spruce, it seems the only way we'll get chosen is
if all the good ones are picked first.
First Peter 2:9 reminds us that through Christ we are chosen! God
sent His Son to light our darkness and fill the gaps in our hearts.
Hold onto the truth
that God sees you today and in His heart! He's saying, "You're the one I want!"
Dear Lord, that spruce pine and I have a lot in common. Even with my
gaps and broken branches, You chose me and made me part of Your
family through Jesus. Thank You for sending Your Son to illuminate
the dark corners of my life and bring hope to my heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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