We have an ugly, bare, untamed Christmas tree this year.  We live on a farm and our landlords as a Christmas gift, graciously cut down a tree from the property and brought it to us.  It didn’t appeal to my husband at all.  He wanted a full tree; a tree that gradually tapered into a cone shape from bottom to top; a tree whose needled branches covered up the trunk and provided limitless opportunities to decorate.  This tree had none of those qualities.  It was unruly, WAY too tall for our ceiling – required some major trimming of branches that wanted to travel to the middle of the living room, and was barer than the hair on my mailman’s head.

But I loved it.

Something about it was just so Christmassy.  There was incredible potential – I knew it.

The kids were easily persuaded that it would be the greatest tree we’ve ever had, but my husband took a little coaxing.  We brought it in, set it up in the stand and placed it in the nook under the spiral staircase.  I wrapped it in lights – like EVERY branch (because there aren’t very many), and the trunk all the way up to the top.  The kids then proceeded to just load it with every mismatched ornament we own!

The result, was beautiful.  The lights and ornaments were so vibrant and bold in contrast to the bareness of the tree.  I actually shed some tears, I was so overwhelmed in humbled awe of the way only God can speak to my heart through an ugly Christmas tree.

It reminded me of the very first Christmas.  Raw, non-commercialized, untamed, ugly and bare.  There was no room for Mary and Joseph in the comfort and beauty of a Commercialized Inn.  God chose to use a barn – a dirty, drafty barn to debut the most beautiful light the world has ever seen!  He decorated Mary and Joseph’s bare Christmas journey with life, with protection and celebration, with music, with hope, and so many other “mismatched” blessings.

I am a bare Christmas tree.

But God wraps me up in his light, and I swear I shine brighter than if my branches were full.  He decorates my life with so many incredible things.  Forgiveness, love, joy, hope, protection, grace, healthy children, a husband that leads in love and service, freedom, family who are friends and friends who are family…

Christmas is not about getting our kids the latest electronics, or toys, or making their lives perfect. In fact, I’m pretty sure that we are ruining our kids by giving them so much stuff.  Childhood is an amazing season when these pure little people can appreciate the tiniest of gifts.  Who are we to steal that innocent simplicity, that content and honest thankfulness and replace it with an expectation and obsession with more and better things?

It’s not about getting jewelry or any other thing we want from our spouse or others.  Wait, huh?  You read that right.

It’s. NOT. about. GETTING.

My parents have been married for 40 years, and my dad for maybe the first time in all those years finally got my mom a Christmas present last year – a knife set!  Yes, he had some help from his sister in law, but my mom was tickled, and it made a comical story and memory.  She needed knives, and wouldn’t have spent the money on them herself.  That’s a gift.  It’s authentic; not given in obligation because of an expectation.   (By the way, my dad is one of the most generous gift givers I’ve ever known.)

And so I’m not worried anymore that my kids may be disappointed with a bare Christmas as far as commercial gifts are concerned.  After all, a jar of pickles is on the wish list of my 9 year old!  They are content to spend time with each other and make memories, and so will I be.  They see the tree as full and beautiful even when it’s bare.

For I am convinced this is the meaning of Christmas, the meaning of life:  to recognize the beauty in being imperfect – to travel life’s struggles knowing that God will shine brighter in our bareness – to allow our lives to be decorated uniquely with the ornaments we’ve been given – and to accept a gift more generous than we are worthy of.

We are ALL bare Christmas trees.  I pray this season you let God wrap you up in his love and light!

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Oh, and Eric loves the tree now.  🙂