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"Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." James 4:14
One of my family’s favorite Christmas traditions is going to get our Christmas tree. We always get it at Hunter Farms right after Thanksgiving -- we make a whole trip out of it. There’s a little shop and a bonfire where we can make s’mores and get hot cocoa; there are other families there. It’s a surreal feeling of community and happiness. We’ll get all bundled up, go walk around, make s’mores, and then it is time to get serious and find the perfect tree.
My dad treats this like a sacred ritual, inspecting every potential tree like a boot camp instructor. My sisters can’t stand still and eventually always end up chasing each other in between the trees, hot chocolate nearly spilling all over themselves or each other. We all stop whatever we are doing when dad announces he has finished his inspection. Then, it turns into a business pitch. He will show us to the ones that he likes and list pros and cons. Then, he will ask us which one we like. Jones will pick one that is four feet tall, saying that she wants the tree to be short like her. Rue will pick the tallest one they have, not caring that it is double the size of our doorways, and I always pick one a little bit on the taller side, but not a tower. Dad will end up convincing the littles into wanting one that is a little more reasonable. Then we will go home, always a little nervous about the tree falling off the car.
We’ll walk inside, and then it’s time to bring the tree in. We’ve gotten everything ready before we left, and we all get giddy, knowing that our house will smell like Christmas trees for the next month. After everything is settled, our parents will tell us to go get ready for bed, even though we are hyper from sugar and the excitement from the night. We will put on pajamas, but won’t end up going to bed for at least another hour. It is amazing how much my sisters and I have grown throughout the years. It is comforting to know that no matter how much your life changes, there are some things that withstand the test of time.
Dear God, thank you for the gift of community, for the reassurance that some things stay the same, no matter how uncertain or crazy our lives can get. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to experience this sacred time of year with our family and friends. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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