Christmas

Merry Christmas!

For I am confident of this very thing,

that He who began a good work in you

will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

I look into our Christmas tree trying to find a way to, a way to capture this last year, I can’t help but be reminded of the ways our plans have changed throughout the year. Something about the enormity of the tree in the corner reminds me that God’s plans are bigger and often times very different than I can imagine.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we went traipsing through inches of snow to pick a tree from the Christmas trees at the Opel Tree Farm. Abigail, thoroughly unhappy, was insulted that she was expected to walk though the snow’s powdery coldness. Chris preoccupied with plans of deer dressing and a safe trip home for his family. And me on the verge of frustrated at the unhappiness and preoccupation interrupting my plans of a fun little walk. We went Christmas tree hunting. Looking through the trees, we picked one marking it with baler twine. Dad and Mom were bringing it to us on Abby’s birthday. A Christmas tree looks deceptively small covered in snow with a big blue sky as the ceiling and surrounded by trees far too large for Christmas ornaments in our house.

We were happy thinking we had a manageable tree. We had the perfect corner of our living room picked out for our little tree. But, this tree wasn’t little, nor was it manageable! Chris struggled to get it in the door. It wouldn’t fit in the tree stand without a fight that only ended by tying it to the curtain rod to keep it upright. The entire corner is taken by the tree requiring large furniture to be moved to accommodate it. But decorated and at home, the tree is beautiful and though not what we thought at first and wrought with complications, it is the tree for us.