Well, yesterday I had my chance to see how long it would take me to go from living in a present disappointment before entering into ‘life’s Back Office’ (see last post). Here’s the story!
My husband and children decided it was time to pick and cut our Christmas tree. I wasn’t feeling well so was happy to let them wander around on our ATV looking for the ‘perfect’ tree. Well, perfect is subjective, right? Definitely!
So it was chosen, cut, and dragged to our porch where it was dutifully placed in water to keep it from drying out too fast. Then we sat down to dinner, during which, someone, not sure who :o), mentioned the fact that the tree is ‘kind of wide and tall’ and that it should fit in the living room. Yikes! What was that I heard?!
My husband was seen measuring with his arms and looking towards the ceiling with high hopes. But his face hinted a bit of concern. Quickly, I scurried outside to see what my troops had dragged home. Oh, my! As they stood it on it’s stump it reached almost twice as high as my six foot tall husband! As I was wondering how we’d make this work, hubby was feeling proud of the fact that he gauged it correctly and it would indeed fit our living room ceiling!
We spent the rest of the night trimming it’s branches and adjusting it’s boughs to turn it into the perfect tree. As I saw that huge tree making it’s home in our living room for the next month, I was tempted to be frustrated by the fact that I’d need to wait another year to have that quaint, old-fashioned, small fir tree I’ve been hoping for in recent years. Then I remembered the ‘Back Office’ of my life, that place where God is doing His work, the work of conforming me to His Son’s image. And I could suddenly see the beauty of that tree and, with new eyes, I formed the reasons why it is the perfect tree!
1) We won’t have to move the loveseat because the tree rises so far above the back of it that it’s beauty isn’t hidden!
2) And, it is perfect for keeping little, grandbaby hands away from all those precious ornaments we’ve collected over the years. All those memories from Christmas’ past that our children will share with their children will be kept intact!
So you see, that ‘back office’ is a place we should venture often. There’s always something more for us to learn than meets the eye!
‘For I know the plans that I have for you, ‘declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29 11-13
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