Christmas tree – Sarah Bebes Blog

It was flying straight towards me at an impressive altitude and speed. Thankfully, I was able to slam on the brakes, and the Christmas tree landed about a foot in front of my car. Next, the car ahead of me stopped, and a woman jumped out and started running back towards me, saying, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry!”

I’m very glad her Christmas tree was smaller than the one at Rockefeller Center!

Immediately I assured her that I was fine. Now believe me, I don’t always react this kindly. This was a great reminder to treat each other generously. Let’s be quick to forgive and gracious. One definition of an accident is: “any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause”. This lady certainly didn’t intend to send that tree flying off her car roof at me!

A Christmas tree from the past (with Adina, Senna, and Uncle Danny).

After convincing her that no harm was done, we moved the tree off to the side of the road. I kept my car in place with the blinkers on while she secured it, and then I confirmed once more that all was well before we went our separate ways.

My favorite Christmas tree (aka my daughter, Amy) adding so much fun to the holiday shop, with Senna and me.

Who will you show grace and forgiveness to today? God is always so gracious and generous with us, after all!

“But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously.” Psalm 13:5-6

Let’s treat each other generously!

The crash was so loud that both our dogs went racing from the room to the farthest corner of the house. Earlier that day my husband, Mike, and I had gone to a nearby Christmas tree farm and cut down our tree. In the evening after the lights were on, we were ready to decorate. Our son, Dan, joined in the fun, as we reminisced over 38 years of tree ornaments. Each ornament is a memory of a vacation, a milestone, a childhood craft session, and even funny things like my daughter Amy’s and my love of ketchup. Yes, we actually have a ketchup bottle ornament, courtesy of the Heinz History Center gift shop in Pittsburgh, PA.

After we finished carefully placing the last ornaments, all three of us stood back, admiring our beautiful Christmas tree. As I placed the tree skirt around the trunk, the tree toppled over, with ornaments flying and lights tangling. In all our years of Christmas trees, this had never happened. After the astonishment wore off, we assessed the damage. Amazingly, none of the ornaments were broken.

As we looked at the tree stand, it suddenly dawned on Mike that its supports were not extended. In other words, the foundation wasn’t secure. That explained it all. Thankfully, this was an easy fix, and now our tree is once again upright, with lights and memories shining out brightly.

All this reminded me how important our foundation is. Jesus told a story about a wise man who built his house on the rock, while a foolish man built his house on the sand. Storms came and hit both houses, but only one stood firm. What are you building your life on? Storms will come, but you can withstand them if you have a proper foundation. Let Jesus be your foundation, and you won’t topple over.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16

Merry Christmas!