By Gina Caswell Kelly
How many Christmas trees do you have at your house? I have five. Yes. That is right. Five. I had a woman tell me one time (before she knew my number of trees!) that anyone with more than one Christmas tree has more money than brains. I am not sure about that. My five trees are the culmination of nearly 50 years of collecting. It wasn’t like I just went to the store one day looking for five trees worth of ornaments! I do have more brains than that!
Four of my trees are kind of themed. I have a kitchen and farm, snowman, vintage, and nativity. But my big tree in the living room is just everything. It is the tree that is the most special. It has ornaments from when Mike and I first married. It has ornaments that my kids have made. Ones that my grandkids have made. Ornaments from my travels. Ornaments that students at school have given me. Ornaments that friends have brought me from their travels. These are all very special to me. They each mean something. I think of that tree as my family tree. That tree to me, is very symbolic of family and love for each other.
I heard a song recently called “Family Tree.” One line in it asks the question, “What gifts are under your family tree?” That has stayed on my mind. I like to think that my kids and others have gotten lots of gifts from beneath my family tree. I am not talking about presents purchased and wrapped up with pretty paper and bows. I am talking about the gifts I hope my family has gotten from our family tree that is of much more value than a purchased present.
I hope my kids have gotten a love for Jesus Christ and a recognition of what He did for us, and what a price He paid to offer us all forgiveness of sins. I hope they have gotten a love for everyone, no matter what or who. We are to love as Jesus loved us. I hope they have gotten an understanding of and a desire for forgiveness for others. As Christ offers us forgiveness daily, we should also offer others that same gift.
I hope they have gotten the gift of laughter. I hope they find something to make them laugh every day. I hope they have gotten the gift of joy in the midst of trial. In my little family, we have seen much pain and loss. No more than others, but we have certainly experienced these things a few times. I hope they learned strength and dependence on the Father for the strength for those days.
The gifts under the Family Tree should be so many! They should be gifts that can’t be wrapped up, but can always be cherished. They should be gifts that are used every single day. They should be gifts that can be passed on to the next generation.
What gifts are under your family tree? Give the gifts that will make a difference!
