Reflections on a Christmas Tree

Look closely at a Christmas tree today – bare and perhaps covered with snow. Trees are often bent, broken, missing limbs, missing leaves, plagued by pests, scared by lightening, etc. Perhaps that is how you sometimes view yourself. When you focus on the broken limbs and knots, you see only the “mistakes” of the tree. But do you also see how they add to the beauty and majesty of the tree? Step back and look at how beautiful it is.

Close your eyes and imagine that you are a tree. On your broken, flawed imperfect tree, put an ornament for every sacrifice you have made for strangers. Put a light on your tree for every act of love you have done in God’s name. Place an ornament on the tree for every good deed you have done or for every time you turned away from evil. Put a gift under the tree for every time you have done something nice for one of God’s children.

What does your tree look like now?