2020 Tree

2020 has been a tough road to say the least. Yesterday, our family went to cut down our Christmas Tree. This is a fun tradition, an outing we look forward to every year followed by an afternoon of decorating and Christmas music! The first place we went to was out of trees for the year...WHAT?? That has never happened in the history of Denlinger tree hunting! The second place, well let's just say there was not a lot to choose from. As we strolled through the open fields, we joked about the dilapidated, ugly, broken, underdeveloped trees that remained. Not to mention the numerous times one of us almost face-planted over the many stumps left from those who went before us. We were left with two choices; make the best of it and just pick one or drive 30 minutes in the opposite direction in hopes of something better. With a dog, 2 teens and 2 young adults in our midst, driving the 30 minutes was not the better option:)

The tree we settled on has some flaws; its height, shape, and the number of brown needles are the most obvious. When we got home and took a closer look, we saw more problems in this tree (as you can see from the side view below). But, thank goodness the problems and disappointments with this tree and the choices before us didn't overtake the beauty that can be made not just in the physical {tree from the front view below} itself but in the experiences and memories made. I am so thankful for the many blessings this year has brought despite the dilapidated, ugly, and broken things around us. It is all a matter of perspective. We can easily get caught up looking at things from the side view, only seeing the hard and get frustrated, impatient, angry, and critical. This day (and this year) reminded me to see beauty can come out of the disappointments and the unexpected. Sometimes none of the choices before us are favorable but blessing can be found. Let's choose to see the good, choose to see that God will make beauty from the ashes of 2020.

Side View

front view

so much beauty, no ashes here!  

So much laughter and so many memories made in one day!

WWJD - HWLF

While cyber shopping last night, Kylie showed me this new company she found called HWLF.  HWLF = He Would Love First. The idea came from the question WWJD - What Would Jesus Do.  You know, the bracelets that were so popular at one time.  They were meant to bring about conversation. To bring up questions by those who maybe didn't know Jesus so that hopefully the one wearing the bracelet could share Christ.  I think they were also meant to be a reminder to the person wearing the bracelet to try to respond in every situation they way Jesus would. The problem the young man who started HWLF found was the he often didn't know what Jesus would do and didn't know how to answer that question until he discovered that Jesus would always love people first. No matter where we are in life, what we are going through, what decisions we make Jesus always loves us first.  It's his first response. I love this message!

We live in a society where so many people judge, criticize and hate others for the simplest things.  People put themselves first; everything is acceptable as long as "it what makes me happy or feels right".  People are so busy worrying about themselves, their kids, and the schedules that they don't have time to think about WWJD for the neighbor right across the street. Me included.

Looking into this little company and its mission to answer the question WWJD has confirmed the very message God has been sending me lately through preparing for 12 Days of Loving our Community at Life House Church. As I  helped prepare for this church wide outreach that encourages people to love others for 12 days in December, the question kept coming to my mind, "what are you waiting for?". Why wait until day 2 tells me to love my neighbor? Why am I not being intentional about loving my neighbor on a regular basis when I know they are in need? Why am I not doing something special for a single mom I know right now instead of waiting for a calendar to tell me to? If HWLF, than I should love first.  I John 4:19 says "We love each other because he loved us first".  Not a new message.  Just a misplaced one. 

I wonder how many times we misplace messages from God.  When life gets busy and we get selfish or tired, when we take on too much, its easier to set the truths aside and do what's easy.  Eventually, we misplace them.  I constantly have this pile of papers and mail I don't have time or don't want to deal with in the moment sitting on the corner of my dining room table.  When I need something I have to go digging through the pile hoping its there.  Every now and then I get tired of seeing this pile grow taller and taller so I sort through it. Sometimes, I am surprised at what I once knew was there but forgot about as life got busier and time passed on. So how often do we pile up messages from God to deal with later when we aren't so busy? How many of these messages become misplaced or even forgotten?

HWLF is a simple message we should not set aside for later when its convenient.  Because HWLF, we should love first.  I'm going to be intentional about loving others through 12 days of Loving our Community this December, but I desire to strive to not let it stop there.  I want this to launch me into keeping this message at the forefront of my thinking.  (Maybe I also need to set a goal about this paper stacking as well). I'm going to need a lot of help here. I'm going to need to daily ask God to remind me. I'm going to need others to hold me accountable.  

If we love first, we may just see a movement in our community, our nation, and a our world! We may just see God bringing people to himself! I believe God wants to do more with 2020 and significantly more with 2021!