Pathways Press.com

MEDITATION:

Written by Laura Metzger from the Village Church.

Putting up the Christmas tree is a special activity in our home, as it is a way to display our lifelong collection of Christmas ornaments.  We have ornaments from our childhood that have been on our Christmas trees for as long as we can remember, as well as many ornaments that tell the story of our own family. Each year on the day after Thanksgiving it was a tradition when our children were growing up that they would make craft ornaments – those still go up on the tree every year!  And I have ornaments that the children made in pre-school and elementary school, which often included pictures of them from those early years!  There are ornaments that reflect what was special in our family life over the years, such as sports, band, hobbies, school, and jobs. We also buy Christmas tree ornaments as travel souvenirs, which are really fun to review each year! We have ornaments that were hand-crafted by the ladies in my mom’s “girls club,” who met regularly for over 50 years.  I remember those special groups of ladies as I put their handicrafts on the tree.  We also have ornaments that reflect the traditional Christian symbols of Christmas, such as stars, angels, nativities, and wise men. And there is a Santa collection that began with a small ceramic Santa that was on my birthday cake when I was a young girl.  As my children are now adults, I’ve passed some of the ornaments on to them, and have new ornaments with memories of my grandchildren. And I buy each grandchild a Christmas ornament each year for their tree. I love putting the ornaments on the tree, remembering and retelling the stories behind them. It’s a great way to remember the gospel story of Christmas.  Our Christmas tree is special because it is filled with a lifetime of people and events that have been important in the life of our family. I’m in the process of writing up those memories so the children and grandchildren can continue to tell some of these stories to the next generations!

SCRIPTURE:

Deuteronomy 32:7

“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.”

LINK TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC/VIDEO: