O Christmas Tree

Christmas time! My favorite time of year. For now. Think I'll give it one more year and if we have no money for gifts for a forth year in a row I'm gonna give up on this commercialism bit and go back to worshiping God for His kindness to us. Sigh. The right thing to do for sure but I kinda liked the old getting and giving stuff thing we had going. Ho ho ho and Happy Holidays and all. I only say this stuff so you can see how shallow is the man who types the printed word before you. Run now while you still have a chance!

I watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer the other night. The cartoon, though it's not really a cartoon right? Some sort of puppet or clay-mation thing. I watch that and Santa Clause is Coming to Town (you know, the one with the Burger Meister Meister Burger. Didn't you love to say that name?) And the Little Drummer Boy and Frosty the Snowman. Frosty WAS a cartoon as was the best, Charlie Brown Christmas. Classic!

My heart is sad for the generations who have had the misfortune of growing up after the 70's. VCR's. Yeah I know, right? It ruined all the Christmas shows. I remember carefully studying the TV guide after Thanksgiving to be sure which nights the Christmas shows were on. My shows anyway. I didn't much care for the Lawerence Welk or Andy Williams specials. Back then you got one shot at 'em and if you missed them you had to wait a whole YEAR to see them again. No options there. THAT is what made them special. Now, kids can watch them all year long. A travesty.

We bought our tree this year at Lowes. A real one, not one of those fake thingy's that everyone gets these days. If you have one of those shame on you. Things are made of wood dowels and green pipe cleaners. Some come with their own lights for gosh sakes! Where's the fun in that? Do yourself a favor and toss it out and go get a real one. And don't wimp out and put those mini lights on it, go out and get yourself a dozen strands of the old screw in type lights, you know, the ones that get hot enough to light a tree on fire. That's walking by faith at Christmas time. I think Jesus would like that!

Ok, so I caught Charlie Brown as it was coming on last week and I was really excited but quickly deflated when I found I was watching it alone. No one wanted to see it. The general consensus was "geez dad, grow up". I didn't. I watched and I cried which is what I do when I'm touched. Not THAT kind of touched. Some times God speaks to me though the dumbest things. Like Charlie browns tree.

I've had a pretty rough year this year. If you've read any of my previous ramblings you know I've had a pretty rough this year for 3 years in a row and I'm sorta tired of it. My business is faltering, my health is just fair, sometimes my marriage is a challenge, I'm fat and lazy and I'm beginning to think my male pattern balding isn't a passing faze. And worst of all my walk with Jesus is soooo bad I'm not sure I can keep calling this blog "Stumbling with Jesus". In short, I'm Charlies tree. Pathetic.

In the end though, Charlie Browns tree turned out to be pretty awesome and the kids were so impressed they gathered 'round and sang. I think Charlie felt like HE was the tree, pathetic and a laughing stock and he ran out and missed the whole transforming process that turned the tree into the something special he saw on the tree lot. It surprised a lot of people. Maybe most of all him.

I know God chose me. He saw something in me that was so special He took me home with Him and call me His own and vowed to decorate me into something beautiful that would one day reflect His own beauty and aroma. Oh how often I've run out on the  process thinking I'm ugly and worthless and destined for the curb. Never remembering His promise to make me beautiful and pure. Sometimes, I'm a sad excuse for a son. But a son I am and I hope this Christmas will be special for Him because the tree He saw so much beauty and promise in is willing to let the Master do His best.