Oh, the Memories!

Do you have a favorite holiday memory?

I am blessed with many, many great ones. Many that weren’t funny at the time, but are hilarious in retrospect.

The year I was about ten and my brother was seven was the last year we had a REAL Christmas tree.

That fateful year involved a wobbly tree with a very soft trunk falling over at least twice. And when it wasn’t falling over, it was leaning like the Tower of Pisa, just waiting to topple and send my father into more of a tizzy as the ornaments clattered to the floor.

That year, my brother and I wrote a wonderful ditty we like to call, “Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, How Droopy Are Your Branches.” It had at least three epic verses.

Needless to say, my parents have had an artificial tree ever since.

I love recalling old Christmas memories with my family. Even times that were frustrating in the past send us into rolling laughter in later years.

The Lord works all things for the good of those who love him.

We are promised this in Romans 8:28 (NIV):

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Even when things don’t go as we would have hoped or planned, we know that the Lord is working for the good of his children. When we don’t understand why the tree would topple over, or why the Christmas ham overcooked itself, or perhaps why we couldn’t be near a loved one at Christmastime, we know that the Lord loves us, wants the best for us, and always has our best interests in mind – even if it isn’t what we would have chosen.

So this holiday season, did your tree fall down? Did you forget buy a gift for someone? Were you far from someone you loved?

Rest assured, dear one. The Lord loves you and knows your deepest needs and desires.

He will teach you to understand His Plan in time.

How were the holidays for you this year? Did everything go as planned, or did you experience some bumps in the road? How do you rest in the fact that the Lord has all things in his hands?

[Post Authored by Julie Gernand]