I admit that I have looked a little longingly and sighed at those beautiful "themed" trees in decorating magazines, ornaments all matching, elegant in ribbons, star on straight. Perfect.
Our tree, like our family, is not perfect...and yet it is perfectly us. Nothing matches and yet all those odds and ends tell a story. I guess the theme of our tree is simply "us". It tells our story.
A story of...
Beginnings...
And journeys...
of Beloved pets...
And Farm Life...
Our ornaments do not match. They are...
Handmade by co-workers and children now grown up...
And by friends now passed on...
Collected over time, lovingly preserved, they preserve our history. Each a story within a story.
The annual ritual of trimming the tree re-tells and reminds us who we are. Where we have been.
What matters.
And a miracle takes place. Our tree, now dressed in our imperfect past, becomes somehow beautiful and...
Perfect.
"All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
