Last year I went to Wal Mart and bought a Christmas tree. It's a six foot fake tree complete with lights. There was a variety of colors to choose from but I chose white. Yes, white because of the unfortunate color scheme of my current house. I have blue carpet and red furniture in my living room, and I thought a green tree would make it appear that I was going for plaid. Anyway, it was pretty with the lights on. Last year I had a "good" job, I was going to school full time, and I was in a relationship. I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, I thought. I should have been feeling great. Not anxious, trapped, and hopeless as I felt.
By Christmas that "good" job was gone, and I was considering a career change. By May, I had left school- so much for the career track- and I started going to Church. By August of this year, I left the man behind too, and I was really able to hear God in the silence. In the sweet, terrifying silence,I realized that God never left me or forgot me. He saved me for something. He saves us all for something. So I put my full trust in him and he shows me everyday that he is real and he is with me.
Now I realized that I bought this tree last year, but I bought it for this year. Ive got a pile a debt. I am not free from all my problems, but I'm facing them. But I have a peace this year that I haven't known since I was a child. His day is coming- the day of his birth. Jesus came to this earth, walked in my shoes, and died for me. He came into my heart and showed me mercy. He's coming again to judge how well I kept his commandments, and all he asked me to do was love him and love my brother as myself. Happy Christmas.
