When we were little it was a Christmas Eve tradition, after church, to go see the world's largest Christmas tree! Right here in downtown Wilmington, NC. I can remember just getting out of the car and staring at that tree. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen...in the middle of a dirt parking lot!
I read in a recent Christmas season Americans set up 35 million Christmas trees. I love my Christmas tree and enjoy sitting and enjoying the lights! Our tree is always in the den with us so I can enjoy it! I used to put up a tree in the den, living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. Yes, I enjoyed it but this is the problem: what goes up must come down! I keep it very simple these days!
According to Ann Shorb, the first record of a decorated Christmas tree was in 1510 in Latvia. The custom grew and was popular among Lutherans in Germany where people decorated their trees with wafers, paper flowers, fruits, nuts, gold foil and small cakes and candies. The tree was a reminder of eternal life and His gift of Jesus Christ. Green symbolized hope and new life in Christ. Later German immigrants living in Pennsylvania put up the first Christmas tree in the United States on December 20, 1821. President Franklin Pierce popularized this custom by placing a Christmas tree at the White House.
As we anticipate Christmas day let's focus on Jesus making us a new creation. Even in the roughest seasons of our lives we can know that Jesus is with us. 2 Corinthians 5: 17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" ,mWe were dead inside, but Jesus came to live in our hearts and now we have life and we are shining so bright that others want what we have! O Come let us adore Him!
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