Ask my husband. I have literally hundreds of Christmas ornaments on my tree each year. I have been collecting ornaments since I was 17. I have ornaments from my travels to Europe, Asia, Canada and Central America, and many states in the US. My friends and family know I collect, so they bring me ornaments from their travels. I have handmade ornaments for my mom, children, grandchildren and friends that I cherish.
It’s not just enjoying my finished Christmas tree that brings me joy, but the act itself of decorating it. The memories of my past come to life when I open those ornament boxes. When I select an ornament, I remember back to where I was, or I think of who gave it to me and my heart smiles just a little. Some of them are so fragile, and some have scents; and the look, feel and smell take me back, so many years. Usually, I cry at least once or twice at the memories some of my ornaments bring. I love those memories of family and friends.
As treasured as my ornaments are to me, we are so much more a treasure to God. The beauty of my tree cannot begin to compare to the beauty all around us. There is so much that’s not good these days. We hear of evil on the news,
we see greed all around us, and injustice where we most expect justice to rule. What can we do to keep from drowning? We must take the time to find those “God Sightings”. If we don’t, we can lose sight of all the glory of God’s creation, and fall into total despair. We must Choose Joy!
Each one of us is like one of those ornaments, a treasure, a beautiful creation, most precious to God. He handmade us. He dreamed of us. He created the earth for us. From the majesty of the mountain ranges, to the fierceness of the ocean. From the quiet of the woods, to the vastness of farm fields. From the mysteries of stars in the heavens, to the heat and brilliance of the sun. I like the simplicity and celebration of the old hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth”. Google the words and think of the blessings all around us. Such a simple, sweet song.
Scripture: Read Genesis 1-31. It’s about the creation of everything, and it ends with “…God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
I read recently, where a little boy was looking at the sky and stars with his dad and he asked, “If the wrong side of Heaven is so beautiful, what must the right side look like?” Just imagine!