Our Not-So-Much-Anymore Prelit Christmas Tree

This year, when my wife and I decided to decorate the house for the Christmas holiday, we decided to "down-size" our effort. So that meant we left undisturbed in their attic resting place some of the decorations from last year's Christmas display. But we still put up our tree. We have an artificial tree. Have gone the artificial route for as long as I can remember. Why artificial? For starters, you can use it year after year. And since we never pay full price for our tree ... it pays for itself in just a few Christmases. In addition, you never have to worry about watering it ... nor do you have to worry about any allergies kicking in (and they have been known to do so in the past). And so artificial Christmas tree it has been!

A number of years ago or so, having grown weary of stringing the tree with lights ... we went out and bought a pre-lit tree (on sale, of course). I have so enjoyed putting it up year after year, especially knowing I would not have to go through the hassle of making sure the lights were all evenly spaced throughout the tree. However, last year ... the lights on a section went out. No problem ... I just threw on an extra string of lights that we had lying around. This year, upon putting the tree up and plugging all the lights in ... I noticed another section had grown dark. On went another string of lights. Then ... just the other day ... I noticed yet another section was out. SO ... on went another string. (Do you see where this is going?)  Bottom line ... our pre-lit tree is fast becoming a non pre-lit tree!  Yahoo ... back to where we started from!

I guess I could be disgusted by all this ... but I am not. After all, lights won't burn forever. Or will they? Thankfully, I can think of one light that will burn forever. The light of Jesus Christ in His gospel! That is a light that no force, seen or unseen will ever be able to "outen" (as they say in Pennsylvania Dutch). And to think, God gives us the opportunity to shine this inextinguishable light into this dark world in which we work and play. Why ... don't we do it more?

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj