On Pins and Needles

You gotta love Pinterest.  Ideas and fashion galore.  I unashamedly have over 1,000 pins on my boards.  Some recipes have been smashing hits and some have gone straight to the disposal.  Some days I look there for decorating inspiration.  Sometimes I find craft ideas that I would love to try but usually don’t. 

However, this past Christmas, I found something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time.  I’ve always wanted to include the names of Jesus on my tree.  And much to my delight, I found an inexpensive way to flank my tree with names like Messiah, Lord of Lords, Deliverer, Wonderful, Counselor, Savior, and many more.  Awe. Some.

With all the guilt I fight over materialism and spending during the Christmas season, I loved this as a way to remind myself daily of the reason we celebrate…the true Gift.   

So off I went in search of five-gallon paint stirrers, scrapbook paper, and the ever-beloved Mod Podge.  For about $0.15 per ornament, I could make names aplenty.  During the initial stages of the craft, I even had moments of grandness, thinking I could make and sell the ornaments- giving all my profits to the adoption fund at church, of course. Seriously, I did think that for a split second.  My enthusiasm soon waned as I had little blocks of wood lying all over my kitchen and gel stain all over my hands.  (Ok, so maybe I’ll just make a donation to the adoption fund.)  But when all the steps were completed and the Mod Podge was dry, I had exactly what I had hoped.  They turned out perfectly!

Over the next few weeks, several people came and went throughout our house.  Young and old asked about the little name plates.  Many wanted the same thing for their own tree, and I gladly passed along the pin.

It wasn’t until I was taking down the tree this year that I was struck with the reality of all these names. I began removing the ornaments and at the same time began thinking about the coming year.  When I take these hand-made crafts out of the box next December, what will have happened in the meantime?  Who won’t be walking the earth anymore?  What heartache will I have faced?  Who will lose loved ones?  What will this new year hold that I don’t expect? 

As I packed them in the container, I couldn’t help but dwell on their meaning for me personally.  Jesus, the Gift, He is my Deliverer.  He is my Hope.  My Peace.  My Counselor.  He is Almighty.  He is King of Kings.  He is All-Knowing.  He is Ever-Present.

He’s the only One who knows what I will face between now and the next time I bring out the trees and the tinsel.  He goes before me as my Defense.  He comes behind as my Protector.  Who will He be for me this year?  Who will need Him this year as Friend that doesn’t know Him as that right now?  Who do I need to share the Messiah with?

As does usually happen when I get in a hurry and take down my tree, I found a couple lone ornaments hanging in the back that I had overlooked.  One was a shiny gold ball.  The other was one of the hand-made name plates.  Tucked under the needles of my faux evergreen, I noticed that it was one that was stamped “Immanuel”. 

Immanuel, which means, “God with us” (ref Matt 1:23). 

God with us.  Every day.  All the time.  Unable to be boxed up and put away.  Unable to be shoved into the decorations of our days and busyness. 

I was reminded that I cannot put away the Savior of the world into a box.  He will be with me all through my days, all through my circumstances, all through the difficulties, and all through the celebrations. 

Whatever this year holds, may I constantly be reminded that He is my Light and my Refuge.  He guides, comforts, directs, protects, provides, loves. 

Whatever comes your way this year, may you also know Who He is.  May you call upon His name …..any of them.  He is always with us.  Immanuel.