Evergreen community, 

The holidays are upon us and with them come many joys! Students returned from Thanksgiving break with stories of Christmas trees. Whether hauled out from storage or cut down in a field, they now stand brightly lit, proudly supporting the weight of ornaments. This is a lifelong tradition for many of us, having decorated a tree each year for decades. For those of us with young children, however, it can be exciting to see the tradition anew through young eyes. Tara and I have loved seeing our three-year-old so thrilled over the frasier fir in our front room. 

Now old enough to handle the ornaments without breaking (most of) them, Lee was thrilled to help decorate the tree well past his bedtime. While he had enjoyed cutting the tree down that morning, seeing it lit against the backdrop of a dark window was clearly much more enjoyable for him. He was nothing short of awestruck. He tried multiple places for each ornament until he found the just-right placement. Finally, he wound down for bed and Tara and I thought he might just sleep in a bit after such an exciting evening. 

I awoke the next morning around 5:45. When I walked down the stairs, I found Lee standing silently in front of the tree. Just standing there. Soaking it in, the lights’ warm glow illuminating his sleepy face. Moments later, I wondered if this might actually be the perfect posture for the holiday season. 

Join in praying for one another, that we might have a holiday season where we are regularly in awe of the Bright and Morning Star. I pray that, among the parties, programs, and presents, we would find the Prince of Peace and pause, just standing there, soaking it in. 

In Him,