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Our Christmas tree is still “alive”
What does it take to kill a Christmas tree? It's April, and ours is still perky! Here's a belated Easter devotional about this strange reality.
For Easter Sunday, I made a video for our church’s Passion Week devotional series. I share it and the text of the devotional here with you for a late Easter thought. Strangely, as of yesterday, our tree is still perky!
Meet Tabby the cat. We are like cats with God – could take Him or leave Him. Cats are aggravatingly independent but fully present when they want to be fed, much like we are when we need something.
But that’s not my Easter devo. After Ben Price introduced us to Taco for his Palm Sunday devotional, I had to introduce you to Tabby.
This is our Christmas tree.
Yep. It’s still as fresh and green and perky as it was the day we cut it down from the tree farm (which was the last weekend of November!). We don’t understand it. So we are keeping it watered and seeing just how long it can make it. We did a bit of research on the inter-webs and found that normally, they should only stay green and nice for 30-45 days. It’s nearly April…
Some things appear alive but they’re really dead.
That is the condition of us all before Christ comes into our hearts by faith. We have the appearance of life, but we are dead.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7)
For some, Christmas may have actually been the last time you went to church and so seeing a Christmas tree in an Easter video may be a bit jarring.
However, we all know the sad reality of this tree. Unless by some miracle it grows roots and is planted, it will eventually die and be tossed out.
The same is true for humanity. Unless we are made alive (saved) by faith in Christ, we too face that fate, but ours is worse than this tree. That’s why Jesus came and died in our place. His resurrection offers all people everywhere an opportunity to experience a miracle of life within themselves!
Reflection
My hope is that you’ll allow this belated Easter devotional to prompt your own reflection on your life. Do you have the appearance of life but are really dead inside? Do you feel like your root has been cut off? Do you lack security and stability? Do you struggle to feel loved and nurtured?
For the rootless, Jesus offers righteousness.
“He [the Father] made the one [Jesus] who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Bonus Thought:
In the video, you met my grand-dog, Hank. HANK could be an Easter acronym for He’s Alive No Kidding! ????
Jeff, Jan and I once took a good looking Christmas tree post Christmas, and stuck it in the ground. It grew!! Several years later, it was doing well.
Nolan! Was it also a cut tree????
Yes, a cut tree. Just looked very good at the end of the season, so Jan convinced me to try it.