Story of Our Tree

First of all, my family is a "fresh cut" Christmas Tree kind of family. While I have an appreciation for the "artificial," it just doesn't make its debut in our home. We are also good old fashion fat bulbs kind of people as well. And I love to sit and look at the tree with its light and all its glory.

As I was sitting this morning and gazing into the bulbs and the ornaments, my mind began to run wild. Looking at each of the ornaments reminded me of a particular moment in my life, Kelly's life, Tyler's life, and Brendan's life. You see our tree is full of ornaments that have a story. Some are photos from each of our childhoods, some are hand made creations, some are gifts from people, and some are from other countries in the world. With each ornament comes a reminder of how God has orchestrated our lives, developed us as individuals, and provided great opportunities to experience His story in our own lives. The tree we share together is also representative of the life we share together.

The same should be true of our relationship with Christ. Like the Christmas tree and it's decorations, our lives have been decorated with spiritual markers. Those moments in our lives where God provided, led us in a new direction, brought hope in difficult times, and the list could go on. And as we reflect on those spiritual markers, our response should be a beaming glow of joy, trust, and worship.

Take a few moments to think back in terms of your spiritual journey. See how God has guided your path and hold tight the spiritual markers. For that's what has decorated your life and given you a story to tell.