Our Christmas tree is coming down today. We always get a live tree and this one has survived the longest. It always feels a little bit sad to take it down because the living room feels empty. I tell myself it’s good because we need the space. But I miss the glow of white lights on evergreen.
This year we drove out of the city to a small farm, paid to cut down a pine tree and brought it home Griswald Family Christmas style, only with a minivan. All the while wondering if it might fly off at any moment and be destroyed by the combination of highway pavement and the wheels of a semi-truck.
I have grown accustomed to having a Christmas tree that is basically dead upon arrival. Well before Christmas Day there would be a family announcement to neither bump nor breathe near the tree for fear that all the needles would fall off before the big day.
But this “fresh out of the ground tree” has thrived and even started to bud. Instead of a fire hazard this Christmas tree has been generative.
It seems more inline with the Incarnation to have a tree that is producing in mid-January rather than dwindling by Christmas Day. A reminder of the truth that Jesus arrived and kept on living after his birth instead of being packed up in a box and stored in the basement.
The way our culture celebrates Christmas, it is over before the day arrives. We escape humdrum reality for a few weeks filled with twinkle lights, shiny paper and fancy foods only to fall down on Boxing Day in an exhausted heap. Then we take down our trees, store away our wonder and our living rooms are empty.
I remember a cold January night in my early 20’s. I arrived at a friend’s home somewhere around 11:30 p.m. Do you remember when you used to arrive somewhere at that time? I had to park a block away because the streets were full. I stepped out and the street was empty and a bit frightening. It all suddenly didn’t seem safe to be a 5’2” girl walking around on a dimly lit street, near midnight, by myself.
But then, without any warning, the street somehow went even quieter and big fluffy snowflakes began to fall. All around me there was a frenzy of movement but it was completely silent.
The scientific explanation is that snowflakes trap air and absorb sound waves so no sound bounces back to our ears. Our brains are trained to anticipate sound when we see movement but snow falling defies all normal expectation and it feels supernatural.
That silent, empty, fearful street was suddenly pregnant with wonder and beauty. I stood there, for several minutes not wanting to breathe or move for fear the enchanted moment would dissipate.
As we take our tree down today I am left wondering if I might be able to re-frame the emptiness of January. Could I see a place pregnant with wonder because Jesus is alive rather than packing him away till next year? God made man defies every scientific and religious law and fill these empty spaces with the newness of life and hope.
May your empty living room, void of Christmas wonder, be filled with the life of Jesus - like so many gently falling snowflakes. May empty darkened streets of fear be places transformed by the wonder that Jesus’ life on earth was generative and can still, after all these years, resurrect dreams and hope gone dead. In 2024, may we behold his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Now for the News-y Part:
This January finds me embarking on a new adventure. I am headed back to Regent College to finish my Masters. In 2007 I started at Regent intending to take some courses as a sabbath year rest from my job teaching high school. Theological education re-evangelized my heart and I am excited to finish up my Masters of Arts in Christian Studies, hopefully graduating in 2026.
If you felt so inclined, I would love for you to pray for me. Honestly, there is some fear and trepidation about returning to academic life after a long hiatus. These things take time and money and I am trusting God will provide both - my job is to obey where he leads and I feel confident that this is where he is leading. I will still be writing here but only once a month until the end of April. That will allow me to make extra space for my studies.
A Recipe for a Cold Winter Night
Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya by Barefoot Contessa
I find this recipe just perfect for a cold night and it’s only one pot! It is delicious! I have made it with whatever combination of meat, never all at once. And I don’t add all the hot sauce or the jalapeno because I have kids who don’t love spice. I usually make half this recipe for my family.
Music for your soul:
O God Would You Move - KXC & Rich&Lydia Dicas
Death Defying Joy by Andy Squyres
Things I am reading that you might like:
“As Kingfishers catch fire” & “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Practicing the Way - John Mark Comer
The Imagination: Its Functions and Its Culture by George MacDonald