A few weeks ago, I wrote about my granddaughter's reaction to seeing my fully decorated Christmas tree for the first time. She was really in awe of this new addition to the living room. However, it didn't look so lovely the morning before she saw it. We bought this tree a few years ago because it was pre-lit, which sounds wonderful in theory, but not so much in practice. After a couple of Christmas seasons, it has begun to look at little worse for the wear.
The trouble with pre-lit trees is that sometimes one or more strands of the lights that are attached will burn out. In this case, the top and bottom of the tree were glowing, but the middle section was a black hole. Not only that, but I think this tree was related to the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. There was no mistaking this one for a real tree because the branches were sparse and you could see through to the center of the tree and it in no way resembled an actual tree trunk.
Anyway, as we set the tree up and added a set of lights to the dark center, my husband said that we were getting too old to put up with having things that didn't really work and had to be messed with all the time, so in his opinion, it was time for the tree to be tossed and replaced. A day or so after Christmas, I found an unlit tree that looks very realistic marked down almost 70% and some light strings on sale as well, so out with the old and in with the new!
That brings me to the disposal of the old tree. Rather than taking it to the landfill, I decided to advertise it on some of the Facebook yard sale sites as a freebie. Within minutes, I got a text from my friend, Scott, who thought he could use it in his business office. Now, I had been very candid in the Facebook ad about all that was wrong with this tree, so I asked him, "Do you want it even with its imperfections?" Almost as soon as I sent the text, I thought the same thought that he texted back to me - "Sounds like a good sermon or your next blog topic".
I guess he was right because here it is. Aren't you thankful that in your life, God is more like Scott than like me? (At least as it pertains to our attitude about this tree anyway.) The world rejects us when we are not performing the way it thinks we should. The enemy is constantly whispering in our ear to convince us that we aren't worthy of anything. He magnifies every flaw, picks at every failure. But just like Scott was willing to take the tree and let it continue to serve a purpose, Jesus accepts us with all of our imperfections and makes something beautiful out of our lives, if we will allow Him.
Scott will set this tree up next year in the office. He may take the time to add some additional greenery to fill it out a little. He will add lights to the dark spaces and hang ornaments. It will be a beautiful addition in that space. He'll make something lovely out of something that was rejected. He kept it from being discarded, but he kept it for a purpose. Jesus didn't just claim you to keep you out of the landfill of hell, but to put you to use here - in His business office called planet Earth. As you step into 2019, make it your priority to function as He has designed you and to discover what purpose He has for you.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
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