Scripture: 1 John 4: 7-14
Looking back on my life and the many Christmas holidays I spent with my family, I can remember one distinct Christmas that made an impression on me that will last forever. I was in the 6th grade, 11 years old, and my father had recently lost his job and taken another, lower paying job. We had to move into a small trailer owned by my Grandparents. It was going to be a tough Christmas for all of us, but my parents reminded my sister and I that we had each other and we had our love, and that was all that we needed to get through a difficult time. Instead of going to the Christmas tree farm and picking out a choose-and-cut tree, as we always had, we went into the woods behind our house and found a “Charlie Brown Style” Christmas tree that Mom and Dad dug up so they could replant it later. The limbs too weak to hold most ornaments so we strung together berries and popcorn for the branches, instead of taking our usual ornaments out of storage. It was the most beautiful tree I’d ever seen and to this day, my entire family says it is the best Christmas tree we’ve had. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a tree that came together with our love. They didn’t have much money for presents, but my Mom spent months hand sewing clothes for my Barbie Dolls, which she placed in a small wooden box she purchased for me. The clothes were beautiful and I still treasure them. Even though we didn’t have the traditional Christmas, my parents worked hard to show us that love was enough, and it still means so much to me.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for showing us that love and faith can get us through difficult times. I pray that you continue to guide us on the right path and help us realize that with your love and grace we can achieve anything.
Jessica Leigh Johnson
