Do you have your Christmas tree decorated yet? Probably depends on whether you’re going to get a real one or not. If you’re like us and use an artificial tree, chances are you’ve been delighting in it for several days already.

I absolutely love having our Christmas tree up during the holidays. Excitement, joy, peace, and contentment all seem to emanate from it. Nothing makes me happier than to find a valid excuse to put the tree up a few days early, and this year was no exception. I have to admit that I don’t like the work involved, especially when I have trouble with the lights (yes, I’m mechanically challenged) and with my garland that never quite fits around the whole tree. The end result is perfect, though, and always worth the effort.

Now when I say perfect, I don’t mean magazine perfect with everything color coordinated and evenly balanced. I just mean perfect to my eyes and heart. (Did I mention before that I love our tree?!) I guess you would say the theme of our tree is “hodgepodge” — a little bit of this and a little bit of that. And each little “this and that” is dearly loved and meaningful in some way, except for a few ornaments that I am trying to convince Kelli to finally start putting on her own tree :)

About 20 years ago I bought a couple of Precious Moments porcelain ornaments that reminded me of my girls, and over the years several others have been added to our tree (most of them gifts from Don or the girls, but a few represent some lucky after-Christmas sales!). We also have a Precious Moments angel tree-topper that Kelli, when she was just a little girl, named “Carolyn” after her Aunt Carolyn. Carolyn was probably in her late teens at the time and considered very cool by her little nieces :)

The rest of our ornaments come from a variety of people and places. Kelli’s favorite (the twirly one) has been handed down from Don’s family, and Kristin’s favorites are her “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament and the one that has her picture on it as a 2-year old. Several are gifts from dear friends while many others represent vacation spots we enjoyed together as a family. We even have a couple that Dad brought back for me from his travels in Russia. Then there are those that I’ve simply treated myself to when I splurge a little while on vacation :)

Each ornament holds special meaning and memories for me. That’s one of the reasons I love our tree so much, but there is another reason as well. I know Christmas trees mean different things to different people, but to me they are a symbol of joy. They show there is a celebration going on – a celebration so big that even the trees are shouting for joy. The lights, the tinsel, the ornaments all seem to cry out “Joy to the world! A Savior has been born!” Funny as it may sound, Christmas trees actually lead me to worship.

I pray that you will enjoy your tree this year, that perhaps you’ll look at it in a new way. If you listen closely, you will probably hear it singing for joy at the miracle of our Savior’s birth. Take time to sing along and enter into that joy yourself this Christmas season. Worship and be blessed!

“Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the Lord…” 1 Chronicles 16:33 NIV