Tip of My Iceberg

I’ve been amazed at how heavy some of the new Christmas ornaments have become. It would take branches made of rock to hold some of them. Regular Paul Bunyan trees.

Or really strong fake trees.

I’ve got a thing for snowman ornaments. Quite possibly it has a lot to do with not being able to make a snowman in Florida. A sacrifice I’m more than willing to make.

(There’s also the matter of the rockstar snowmen my two sisters, brother and I used to create growing up in the Chicago area. Tons of snow, expertly rolled sections, creative facial features and quirky clothes. Those were the days.)

I received a trio of very jolly, very heavy snowmen as a gift a year ago. A little sparkle, quaint faces, nothing like we used to roll at home. I wanted to hang these three on our tree. I had a great place for each of them. Right next to angels.

They would have been happy there. But they were rather portly snowmen who weighed down the boughs.

The angels suffered. Couldn’t seem to hang on to those bent boughs.

There was no place for those snowmen on our tree. Unless we hung them close to the trunk where the branches were more substantial. But they’d be hidden from view.

Truth is there is a limit to what that tree will hold. All those angels and snowmen, lights and garland, weigh the branches down quite a bit. Our tree is being held in place by a rather heavy tile on the back of the stand. Seems the tree became tipsy. It listed badly to one side. Toppling appeared a very real possibility.

That’s what happens when a tree becomes rootless.

I understand that rootless existence. Too often I’m like that tree that lists to one side. Overwhelmed by my circumstances. I’m a lot stronger when I let my roots sink deep into something that’s worth hanging on to. Something that can hold me, make me stronger than I am. Something that lets me grow as a person.

There are very few things in life that we can dig into that allows us stability. That will give us the substance to withstand the storms that happen to everyone.

Really only one thing. One Person.

Jesus. The God we celebrate at Christmas.

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”    Colossians 2:6-7

This is the time of year when folks feel lonely and disconnected. Rootless. We look for ways to belong. To be known. To be grounded.

Jesus offers us that option. Roots that can go deep. In Him. Roots that can remain nourished. In Him.

Where have you sunk your roots?