O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, Your branches green delight us...

A few weeks ago, the girls and I were riding in the car when the topic of celebrating Christmas came up. I told them that I really wanted to make this Christmas different in that we find a way to mesh the cultural Christmas with the season of worship it should really be. (Yes, I talk this way to my babies.) I asked them if they had some ideas about how we could focus on Christ's birth instead of the other material stuff. They offered some wonderful suggestions, of course. Give good gifts to the poor, play with the nativity scene a lot, and put special decorations on the tree. Oh, the tree...And then I did it, unthinking and insensitive, a crushing blow to their little innocent hearts...I suggested we not put up a tree. I said I didn't see how Christmas trees encourage worship. ( I am embarrassed to document my own shortsightedness and contrariness.) Silence fell in the car. We arrived at our destination, did some shopping, then returned to the car. I noticed as we approached the car that Flannery was teary-eyed. I asked her what the matter was. She was embarrassed to be upset, so I pulled her to my side of the car. She pitifully told me that she was very saddened that we may not have a Christmas tree. She said putting up the tree was her most favorite part of Christmas. I told her Jesus knew her heart and how special this part of his birthday party was to her, so we would certainly have a tree. Thank you, Lord, for the chastisement.

So, on the day after Thanksgiving, Andy fetched the tree from the attic. Flannery literally bounced around while I was assembling it. I was sitting in floor, spreading out the branches, still harboring some self-righteous notions about how we should be celebrating. Then, God reminded me of His own thoughts about trees..."And he shall be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. " Ps. 1:3 (Chastisement, continued.) God's promise to us if we love Him is that we will be firmly rooted, never withering. I have some peace about the tree now. I receive joy from the joy it gives the girls. (Except for Ruby, who thankfully is a little frightened by it.)