The Humble Christmas Tree

When I was five years old we lived in the small town of Rock Springs, Wyoming. My dad worked swing shifts in the coal mine.

He loved the work, but it was very hard on our family financially and with respect to my dad being home for us.

That Christmas we had no money to spare. My sister and I would have never known the amount of financial stress my parents were experiencing, but years later looking through a photo album we saw our little Christmas tree and inquired of my mother why we had "that" tree.

She told my sister and I that real trees were too expensive, so she got a package of green construction paper and a bunch of candy canes.

With some glue, tape, and the ornaments we already had we built the biggest and best Christmas tree I think I have ever seen.

Of all the Christmas trees we have had since, none have meant quite so much. I remember the details of that Christmas and the fact that we made that humble little paper tree with my two faithful parents.

Now, when I look at the picture of that tree I can't help but be grateful for the Spirit I felt at that young age.

We did not "have" in terms of worldly gifts, but we "had" an abundance of gifts from the Lord in terms of Christmas spirit, love, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I think I caught a glimpse of what Christmas is really about.

Jeremy Belinski

Wishing you a joyful Christmas celebrating Jesus, our Saviour's birth, and a blessed New Year.


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Praying with the Psalms by Eugene H. Peterson; Price: $10.01 (-23%) Customer Review: If you're familiar with "The Message" by Eugene Peterson, you will enjoy this daily devotional. I love what he says in his introduction, "We are most ourselves when we pray" and "When that deep, deep center of our lives is exposed -- our core humanity, which biblical writers so vigorously designate as "heart" -- [read more]

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