We are only two days away from my favorite celebration of the year! The countdown to Christmas is ON in the Travis household, and a great part of that countdown takes place nestled up around the Christmas tree in our old farmhouse.
Do any of you have a live Christmas tree? We’ve had a live tree for as long as I can remember, and honestly, our home wouldn’t be complete without it. Selecting the perfect tree, decorating it and admiring it throughout the season is truly one of my favorite traditions.
The Christmas season also wouldn’t be complete in my household without constant, repetitive, yet beautifully playing Christmas CDs. One song that often stuck out to me this year is titled the “The Perfect Tree” by Ray Boltz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WdNQRNhBsg
The chorus resonates with me – hopefully it will with you too.
“The perfect tree grew very long ago. It was not decked with silver or with ornaments of gold. But, hanging from it’s branches was a gift for you and me. Jesus laid His life down on the perfect tree.”
WOW. Don’t get me wrong, I love all things Christmas. The lights, the decorations, the hustle and bustle – I’m here for it all. But, I’ve never taken this Christmas tree “spin” into consideration until this year. The PERFECT tree was not covered in pine needles, ready to be chopped down and decked to a T. It was specifically cut and constructed to fulfill the promise of a lifetime. That promise just happened to be the ultimate gift of life.
Something often not considered is the idea that Christmas happens solely so Easter can, in turn, occur. Bare with me, I’m not trying to jump-the-gun to spring. But, SERIOUSLY think about it.
The next verse in this song so simply and so perfectly puts this holiday into perspective.
“With all the celebrations, sometimes the truth is lost that every step this baby took brought Him closer to the cross.”
I’m reading a book right now by Pastor Levi Lusko. He emphasizes this thought so effortlessly.
“The truth is, death is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came to turn off the darkness of death by turning on the Light. Christmas exists so there could be an Easter, so we could live with hope and die without fear.”
While 2 Timothy 1:10 doesn’t scream, “Happy Birthday Jesus!” It signifies so much about the Christmas-Easter connection.
“Jesus has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
As always, remember the reason for the season, the importance of the most perfect tree and God’s eternal love for YOU!
Merry Christmas and Much Love,
Carley
