Christmas Ornaments

Did you know that your Christmas tree may reveal something about your personality?  Consider all the choices you make when it comes to choosing and decorating your tree.  First of all:  real or artificial?  If artificial:  pre-lit or strings of lights you place every year?

Or how about the color of the tree?  Every year as a child we brought home a fresh cut Fraser fir for our Christmas tree.  I remember the first time we visited some friends, and they had a white artificial Christmas tree with a spotlight that continuously changed the color on the tree from red to blue to white.  I was astonished.  How fake.  After that night, every time we visited those friends, I noticed the excessive amount of makeup worn by the mother and all the kids decked out in designer clothes.  

How about the ornaments on your tree?  Do you have a themed tree that communicates the importance of order and structure in life while also showing your love for angels or snowmen?

Or perhaps your focus on family is highlighted by all your ornaments being made by your children.  Would you have ever dreamed the number of ornaments that could be made out of popsicle sticks? And how about all those ornaments with pictures of your children going through those awkward looking pubescent years?  Your goal was never to have your tree appear on the cover of Southern Home Magazine; instead, you cherish the memories and smile every time you pass your tree.

And the lights on your tree, what do they say about you?  Is your desire for consistency shown by all your tree lights being white?  Or do you show a little flair by lighting your tree with all the colors of the rainbow?  How about those people who go all out with the continuous flickering of multicolor lights – does that mean they are the fun people who enjoy whimsy and wonder not only at Christmas but throughout the year?

Over the years we’ve changed from a fresh cut tree to an artificial tree.  We have ornaments made by our kids and beautiful Lenox ornaments given to us by special people in our lives.  We also started collecting ornaments highlighting places we have traveled.  In the past couple of years, my wife has moved toward the wild side by inserting elf legs into our tree as if this unfortunate fella has nosedived into the middle of our tree.  And last year, she even hid a pickle ornament that when found by a member of the family on Christmas Eve they received a prize.  I’m not sure what the elf or pickle say about us?

More important than what my Christmas tree may say about me is the question do my words and actions reveal my true beliefs about Christmas?  Does the way I care for others or speak to strangers communicate the joy of knowing a savior that has been born for all people?   Or how about the way I spend my time or money this Christmas?  Does it reflect my belief in Jesus, a babe born in a manger who would eventually sacrifice his all to show God’s love? 

Sometime toward the end of this month or the first of January, the Christmas tree will be stored away, but how we live each day will continue to be a testament to our Christmas belief throughout the year.

Merry Christmas!