Looking Up at Him

 It was almost the end of January and my Christmas tree was still up. The rest of the house had been cleared of Christmas decorations, but the one tree remained, its branches full of meaningful ornaments that brought back decades of fond memories. None of the usual shining Christmas balls, but carefully chosen pieces from shared lives and festive gatherings. There was the butterfly necklace that I wore as a young teen; a wooden turtle to represent those my husband collected before we were married; several Baby’s First Christmas reminders of my 40 year old son’s birth; olive wood carvings from my two trips to Israel; handmade creations by me, my grandchildren and my friend Anita; hollowed sparkling eggs and pasta angels from the days I taught the young in Sunday school; ornaments for each of our pets; family ornaments from celebrations in the years since my grandsons were born; White House ornaments and years of collectible gold ornaments that we bought for a ‘family legacy’ for our young son. Scattered amongst these were angels of various types, especially the beautiful oyster shell creations from the TCOTC Craft Bazaar. And then, there was this resin Christmas tree.

Some people told me I was crazy to put up a tree in the midst of a pandemic. After all, the joyful Christmas celebrations of the past, often with more than 30 people were just that, in the past. The smaller nuclear family celebrations of the past 6 years would not repeat this year because of the Valley of the Virus. And there would be only one or two people who would even be entering my house. Who would even see it? Yes, my family and friends were not together, but it was not about the show — I wanted to celebrate Him.

I delighted in the soft white lights and the quiet reminders of the past, celebrating Jesus’ birth. I could smile a soft smile because I was not only looking at the ornaments and what each and every one meant to me, but also looking up, remembering God’s faithfulness through this trying year and thankful for all He has done for me.

In his powerful sermon on January 24, Pastor Jonathan said that it is hard to look up in a culture that tells us to look ahead. I realized that the corollary was also true. Those of us (especially older) folk who are “trapped” alone, are spending a lot of time looking back, holding onto the memories. There is nothing wrong with that if you also are looking up at Him. You cherish the memories while being at peace in His presence. But for those who don’t or don’t know how — that’s loneliness.

So, after the church service on that day, I began to take the ornaments down, while I smiled and recalled the circumstances for each and every one, And then I took down the resin tree, and I turned it around, revealing its other side. When we look at the beauty of the Christmas tree, we also need to remember another tree. The tree of Calvary. In just a few weeks, it will be Lent. We have already traversed one Lenten season and one Advent season during the pandemic, and now another Lenten season will be upon us. Because of what He did for us, we can look back at Him and His sacrifice. But we can also look ahead at the Glory and Redemption He gifted us. In both cases, we also are looking up.

And that’s why we have peace.

Shalom,

Judy