What Your Christmas Tree Says About God’s Faithfulness

And the spiritual practice of remembering

There are few family traditions that tug on my heartstrings as much as putting up the Christmas tree. Once I get past the hassle of hauling it out of our garage, unfolding and fluffing its branches, then untangling and stringing the lights, the fun can begin.

My two boys, now ten and twelve, sort through our boxes of ornaments and put out their favorites. My oldest loves to compare the size of his hands and feet now with this toddler handprint and footprint ornaments, making me feel grateful that I braved the task of getting his wiggly 2-year-old self to sit still long enough to cover him paint and capture his prints. My youngest loves to hang the clear round ball that has his newborn hat and wristband bunched up inside, calling to mind those hazy days when he made his grand debut into this world.

Then there’s the wedding cake ornament from 22 years ago that I like to hang, shaking my head at how young we were, how far we’ve come. More recently, a miniature version of my book now hangs on our tree, thanks to a thoughtful gift from my mom. The rest of our Christmas tree is packed with trip souvenirs, picture frame ornaments, and my boys’ handmade concoctions that are barely holding together.

My tree looks nothing like the picture-perfect trees on Pinterest, which are color coordinated, and expertly designed along a theme. But for once, I have no feelings of envy when I scroll. Our Christmas tree is a museum of our lives, curated by our memories. Like a docent, I can tell you the story of each artifact, smiling proudly at the evidence of a life well-lived.

Stone altars of remembrance

The Israelites had their own version of Christmas tree stories: They built altars of stone as memorials. In the book of Joshua, once the people of Israel had safely and miraculously crossed the waters of the Jordan river, the Lord commanded them to build a stone altar. One man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel was to choose a stone from the bottom of the river to be a sign.

“When your children ask in time to come ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:6-7)

The Israelites had concrete reminders of God’s faithfulness, protection, and provision. The stone altars became a way to tell stories to future generations about the reason for our faith. We, too, can build our own stone altars in more modern, creative ways. We can keep a journal, chronicling God’s movement in our lives. We can collect pictures to tell a story in a scrapbook or a calendar. Or we can keep adding mementos to our crowded Christmas trees in an ever-changing display of God’s goodness in our lives.

When I look at our Christmas tree through this lens, I see not only evidence of a life well-lived, but God’s provision, goodness, and faithfulness.

• The red ball that says “Our First Home 2009” in silver letters testifies to God’s provision.

• The snowman that says “Paragon Teachers 2007” reminds me of God’s faithfulness in a dark time of job-hunting.

• The round chalk ornament with the word “poop” scrawled across it in a child’s hand reminds me of laughter and joy with our two boys.

The spiritual practice of remembering

The word “remember” occurs hundreds of times in the Bible.

We remember who God is and what God has done for us.

We remember in order to rejoice.

We remember in order to repent.

We remember to understand.

We remember so that we can have hope for the future.

The remembering we are to do as Jesus’ followers is different than passively gazing at the Christmas tree. Although it can bring us comfort and encouragement, remembering is a call to action that draws us nearer to God as we thank God, course-correct, love others as we are loved, and cling to the hope only Jesus can provide.

Something I wrote: Why Jesus’ Human Body is Good News for Us. Our bodies, with all of their limits, strengths, and weaknesses are indeed a part of our spiritual lives. When God sent Jesus to us, God sent him in a human body, demonstrating the inherent dignity, value, and goodness of our earthly flesh.

Something I read and loved: A Lighter Christmastime: 3 Simple Ideas by

Meredith Miller

is the simple and practical advice we all need this time of year! I especially needed her second tip about great joy over holiday frenzy.

Something I listened to: Hold on to Hope this Advent with

Jen Ludwig

on the Girls Talking Life podcast was a timely and encouraging listen. I thought the rope analogy was perfect, and I appreciated the conversation around waiting well.

Something I’m cooking: Are you sick of Thanksgiving leftovers? These Peanut Chickpea and Veggie Bowls might be just the new flavor you need (although I usually substitute fresh spinach for kale)!

If doing something with your kids Every. Single. Day leading up to Christmas feels like too much for you, might I recommend my 12 Days of Christmas countdown? You can print it out in card form, or as a link of chains. Each day tells a part of the Christmas story!

Until next time,