Ephesians 4:2
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I finally got all of our Christmas decorations taken down and packed away for another year. As I “undressed” the Christmas trees (yes, we have more than one!), and boxed up my nativity collection, the thought occurred to me more than once…”These are going in a plastic bin upstairs in the attic…no need to wrap each one so carefully.”
Then I considered these ornaments and decorations…which are truly just “things”…but they represent so much more. There are the ornaments that my students lovingly gave to me almost 40 years ago…the wooden pieces I painted by number in our first years of marriage…the precious decorations my Mam-ma Polly made for us, and the delicate trinkets I inherited from my maternal grandparents’ tree. There are nativity sets that I purchased with a beloved cousin and sister-in-law who share similar tastes and interests…the plaster set that I rescued at the estate sale of my mom’s first-grade teacher…and the Madonnas that I have purchased at the local estate sales of people who made a difference in my life – and now celebrate Christmas every day in heaven.
Virtually every piece tells a story…has some sort of meaning. But even those that were merely bought at an after-Christmas-sale or have been broken and glued back together have worth and deserve careful treatment. And that’s what God is telling us in this verse. Each one of His creatures is precious. We are no better than the next person. We must make allowances for the faults and flaws of others – just as they (hopefully) do for us.
So this year, I gently covered my decorations in tissue and bubble-wrap. I sorted and cleaned and carefully boxed away these “things” that help to make the holidays so cozy and special. I set aside a few items to mend and rejuvenate…and I gave care to even the most pedestrian ornaments and trinkets. I thank God that He does this for me each and every day…and I am going to step up my game with regard to how I treat others in His kingdom. Are you with me?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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