Broken Tree Branches

If you haven’t set up your Christmas tree yet, you probably will soon. The yearly tradition of putting up Christmas trees range from families going into the mountains, finding the perfect tree, cutting down and packing it back to the truck; to pulling into the closest Christmas tree lot at the local store. And then there are those (like myself) who have their tree packed in a box, perfectly ready to set up and you’re done with it in 15 minutes!

The one thing we have in common, is our desire for the best-looking tree we can find; preferably one with no hanging down broken branches. You’ll notice as you set up your tree, you’ll turn it around until the best side of the tree is facing the people. We put the broken branches and bare spots on the back side, where no one can see them.

In our lives, we too will spin ourselves around from day to day, attempting to show the best side of who we are, so that we’ll be accepted by others. We’ll often times be so busy worrying about what others think about us, that we end up spinning our lives into a twirl of destruction, destroying not only ourselves, but those closet to us as well.

During this season, just be who you are, broken branches and all. We cannot and will not be perfect. So just be you. Allow others to see your faults and failures. Let them know that you are real, and not fake. Allow them to see God’s strength through you even when you are weak, damaged and frail.

And as you do…

You watch… You wait… You’ll see! 

• Pastor Dale Campfield