“And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” (Hebrews 6:15 NIV)
From 1982 to 1990, I served a congregation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. One year, Bobbie heard news that the Canadian government was opening Crown Land near Cochran, Alberta, and allowing families to cut Christmas trees for free. It was a neat idea for “tree thinning” that some forestry worker had devised.
Bobbie promised me and the children that we would go there and get our tree. After much patient but very excited waiting, we arrived at the designated place early. No mechanical vehicles were allowed beyond the entry point, so we trudged patiently through knee-to-waist deep snow in some places to find our tree.
Bobbie would accept nothing less than the “perfect tree.” Finally she saw it . . . but it was the top of a tree. First, she wanted me to cut the portion above my head, because it was “beautiful from there up.” Second, our young son Jonathan decided to play a trick on me. As I was sawing, he shook the tree and caused snow to fall inside the back of my shirt. We spent as much time wrestling around in the snow as we did cutting the tree.
When the tree was finally cut, we dragged it back to the car and loaded it on the roof. It literally extended from bumper to bumper. We didn’t know that the maximum length allowed was six feet. When we got it home, it wouldn’t go through the door. After I patiently cut more off the trunk and patiently wrestled it into the house, our tree was still too tall to fit under our ceiling, so more had to be cut off. I must have cut six feet off that tree after we got it home, just so it would fit in our living room.
Decorating it became a most memorable Christmas event for our family. It was a very merry occasion complete with hot chocolate, cookies, and frolicking around as we strung lights, balls, and icicles. It had filled our day but once finished, we were happily exhausted and content.
After all our patient waiting: we got our tree, trimmed it properly, and Christmas arrived as scheduled. We received what was promised: good tidings of great joy. God had allowed us to enjoy more than one day of celebration. He spoke to us through this family time of fun and frolic.
Dear Father, thank you for the good news and joy of Christ’s coming. Empower us to be patient in our waiting because of the hope we have of receiving what you have promised. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged in what God has promised,