In a culture of bigger and better sometimes it is hard to think that the first Christmas poor (well until the Magi showed up with all the bling-bling). A young couple shacked up with the critters in the barn. A baby delivered, and for lack of a well prepared nursery with just the right colors, baby safe furniture, a baby monitor and fleece blankets he slept in the next best thing. . . the cows cafeteria tray! Sounds fabulous (OK maybe ghetto-fab)!
Definitely the birth scene appropriate for a king, and without a doubt the most picture perfect conditions (by our First World standard) for the son of God. That first Christmas definitely set the scene for the magnanimous Christmas celebrations and tree trimmings that children around the world wake up to in this day and age.
And this leads into one of the many reasons i love my wife. She is creative and an outside the box thinker. With Christmas coming we were still without even a tree up until yesterday. i was gung-ho to go get the biggest tree we could find. Leave it to my wife to suggest that we take the Monterey Cypress tree that we have been growing the last couple of years. By modern Christmas standards it is barely a modest little tree, worthy of Charlie Brown - it's branches can't support many of the ornaments that we have for it.
In many ways though, it reminds me of the first Christmas. It is small, seemingly weak, yet amazingly beautiful. Unlike the other Christmas trees which are dead (yes you evil revelers decapitated them ;-), our tree is very alive and growing. In all of it's simplicity it doesn't distract us from what is beautiful about this time of year. . . giving, loving each other, dancing (or trying really, really hard to get dizzy and fall down), and spending time together.
Plus. . . as you can see, we can still fit gifts beneath it. Gifts more precious than gold, frankincense or myrrh. Just please don't tell DHHS. . . (OK that was a joke. . .you can tell them if you want).
2 comments:
Whoa! You changed your blog photo. (I've been reading in my RSS reader, so I didn't notice...)
Your tree is adorable! Ours is similar, only not growing. It's got some white lights and only one ornament and I love love love it. :) Wish we could be there for the holidays!
honey, i love our tree, and i think that it is my favorite of all the years, why, it is meek, and simple, and growing, and something that you have invested time and energy in, like our family. to some standards our family is meek, and simple, and definately growing (not in number...) and you have invested countless hours, and loads of energy. I love you, and am in love with you. i long to be close with you. I think that the season we seem to be in right now will be a short one. there is an answer on it's way. God is in complete control. We must be obedient, and patient. Hang in there... you shall have rest soon...
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