You must be thinking that I am going to criticize putting up a Christmas tree or call it a heathen tradition we should abandon. Well no, that is not what this blog entry is about. I just came to some new conclusions about our Christmas tree this year, and would like to share those deductions with you!
When I started this blog, my aim was to write something at least once a month. Alas, the month of October just slipped away. I had no creative juices, it seemed like God was silent on what I was supposed to write, and frankly, it was a hard month of waiting for me. So I was very surprised yesterday, when the Holy Spirit gave me a novel idea to write about.
It all started when my dear sister Bruni told me about a new Bible study she was starting at her church. She shared that the Bible study was on the Psalms and was called "As For Me", by Adrienne Camp. Somehow my interest was immediately piqued, as I have heavily leaned on the Psalms this year. Unbeknown to me, my sister ordered the book for me and had it sent to me. I thought she was just sending me the link to buy the book, so after waiting a few days for her to send me the link and not receiving it, I ordered the book for myself.
This breast cancer journey I am on, has been intensely lonely for me due to having to be careful of being around too many people because of my compromised immune system. Sometime in September, I had joined a new Bible study at church on Thursday mornings, but only attended one time in person. The second week it seemed like a lot of the ladies got colds and the dreaded Covid, so I stayed away and did the study on my own. I longed for fellowship, but kept on hearing that people were sick. So I did the responsible thing and stayed away. I ended up completing the whole study on my own.
So, back to the Bible study on Psalms. A dear friend of mine, came to visit me on the day after I received the book I had ordered, and on the day I received my second copy from my sister. So without really thinking much about it, I asked her if she would like to do the Bible study on the Psalms with me. She was delighted and said yes! So we decided to meet via Zoom each Monday night and work through the study that way.
The Bible study starts at the beginning of the book of Psalms: Psalm 1. This Psalm has always had a very special meaning to me. When my Mutti (mom) turned 70, we decided to surprise her with a visit to South Africa. I had special friends help organize a big celebration which turned out to be very memorable. We had asked the pastor to do a devotion at the celebration. He chose Psalm 1 as his topic. He compared my mom to a tree growing by the side of a stream: close to God and growing much fruit. So you can imagine my delight in starting this Bible study with Psalm 1!
1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1 (NIV)
This whole week I have meditated on Psalm 1 and contemplated how I am either a tree growing close to the wholesome Living water, or how I could be chaff floating away in the wind. I really want to be that big, strong, green tree, with it's roots deeply rooted in God's nourishing water. But so often I am not. I withdraw my roots from the life-giving stream of God's Word, and place them into other attractive looking "fluids" arounds me. I so easily get distracted by things I see on social media, the TV, or things I read or hear elsewhere.
Yesterday morning, we decided to put up our Christmas tree. Yes, I know it is super early, but I don't know if I'll have the energy to put it up later this month. One of the side effects from radiation can be fatigue and skin burn. I seem to already have less energy after 3 traditional and 4 Proton radiation treatments, so I decided I'd better get to it.
While Kevin was putting the tree together, I sat sorting through our ornaments. Once the tree was up, we realized that we needed to add more lights, as some of the lights on our marvelous pre-lit tree are out. So Kevin added more strands of lights. It looked gorgeous just plain like that. This is when the Holy Spirit seemed to give me the idea about what I could write about...
The tree reminded me of the tree the psalmist talks about in Psalm 1. Even though our Christmas tree it is not deeply rooted and at the edge of a river, it is green. Under our Christmas tree is the nativity. The tree towers over the little bitty Baby Jesus. It is because of HIM coming down to earth that we celebrate Christmas. And this Christmas tree tradition is a direct fruit of his coming: announcing to all believers "Let's celebrate!" I usually have lots of wooden ornaments from Germany that I hang on the tree. Straw stars, clear glass ornaments and shiny gold bells are added too. Then a big straw star is added to the top.
No, not this year! This year I call it my JESUS Tree. I picked ornaments with the names of Jesus on them. I picked angels that sing His praise. And the star on the top of the tree? It is a star that has the name JESUS on it in all capital letters. This whole season, I want to be reminded of all he has done for me. I want to be reminded of how important is for me to be rooted deeply in Him and His Word. My greatest desire this Thanksgiving and Christmas season, is for the tree to remind me how much glory, honor and praise Jesus deserves for becoming my Immanuel! Of course the lights on the Christmas tree remind us of Jesus being the Light of the world.
I hope you will see your Christmas tree you put up and other Christmas trees you see as you are out and about this season, as JESUS TREES as well. I pray that you will take Psalm 1 to heart as well and will want to imitate being a green tree for others to see and wonder what makes you so beautiful and fruitful. As image bearer of Christ and as His disciple, that is something I really want to reflect to this world! Go shine brightly for Him!
God bless until next time,
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