Sunday my husband helped me haul all the Christmas decorations out from under the trailer. There were 3 big red bins, a few boxes, 2 large tins, a beautiful fake tree, a brand new 4' white tree, a 6' outdoor wire tree with clear lights, lots of smaller trees (I love trees!). Stuff, stuff and more stuff! Where will it all go in this little trailer??? To put some of the trees outside will require a very long extention cord to be sure.
We unpacked the bins and boxes and tins and foxes... no wait. There weren't any foxes.
I just wasn't feeling like decorating, with all that stuff scattered on the floor and table and chairs and buffet and sofa... So I only set up the big pre-lit tree and one tall skinny tree beside it simply because it's too tall to put on top of the buffet.
Bah-HumBug! The lights on the tree just aren't very bright. Christmas decorating for me is all about the lights. I was tempted to take down the big real-feel tree and set up the white wire tree, changing all 350 pre-strung lights with colored lights I would scavange from some of the 8 strings of lights that were stashed in those boxes. I spent all evening on Sunday fussing in my head about the boring tree with feeble lights.
Come Monday morning, someone mentioned bubble lights. I happen to have a few of those, if I could find a light string they fit on. That got me started on decorating the tree. There was one string of the proper size lights - not your typical lights, either; little round frosted colored bulbs. With a few of them burnt out. I replaced those with the single bubble light that worked and a few other lights that I had collected at a thrift shop where I used to volunteer.
Okay! It's getting better! Out came the ornaments. Several old pieces that my youngnest son made in school,
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| I designed the angel for #3's headstart program back in 1990 |
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| These bead guys were a design to use beads from an old seat cover. #3's class made them for Christmas in 4th grade. |
Viola! A decorated tree!
But, Lord, what about all this leftover decor?? I'm tired of packing it back in boxes and storing it. Where can I get rid of it?
Ah! There is a local fb sale group. I'll post it on there. The asking price was $30 for the 4' white tree with colored lights on a white wire (as is appropriate for a white tree, after all), several cookie jars, decorations, lights, place mats, and a few other odds and ends. It seemed reasonable to me.
No hits. It seemed no one wanted my leftovers... I called two pastor's wives. They didn't know of anyone. I called a friend. No luck. I changed the price on that sale board to FREE! Still no takers.
This morning, Tuesday, I determined to locate someone. There is a food pantry in town, and today they were open. Not remembering the name of the place, I called city hall. But google has the wrong number listed. I got the fire department instead.
"Merry Christmas!" the nice lady cheerfully answered the phone. We chatted for a bit about how it was the wrong number, when it dawned on me that the fire department might know of someone who had recently lost their home and possessions who might be in need of a Christmas setup. She didn't, but suggested a few other places to check. She also gave me the name of the food pantry. God can use even 'wrong numbers' to get you the information he wants you to have!
So I called the food pantry first off. After all, that was my intention. If they didn't know of anyone, I could work down the list.
When I explained what I had to offer, the lady who answered the phone was thrilled! She had just invited her two great grandkids and their mother to stay with her for Christmas, but she only had a little fiber optic tree - nothing exciting for kids.
Thanks Lord! You sent me to exactly the right person!
The lady come over to pick up the booty, but declined the tree. She said they would get a live tree. Can't blame her there, really.
Secretly, I was thrilled that she didn't want the tree! You see, I love colored lights against a white background. Usually I tuck them under a white cloth, which looks really cool all by itself. But I had been looking forward to the white tree since last January when I bought it dirt cheap after Christmas. Now I have to find a place to put it up in the trailer! A new project for the day!!
Moral of the story (which I have proved over and over again in many different situations): If you are willing to give up what you want, God will honor that. Sometimes He gives it back, sometimes He replaces it with something you want even more. Sometimes He just lets you know how much that something means to someone else, and just the knowing is worth the giving up.
It's So Much Fun Watchin' God!!
(I really love this picture, so you get to see it again! heheheee)
(UPDATE! When I put up the white tree, I discovered that there was a broken bulb in one of the strings. The lights would work, then not work. If that lady would have taken the tree, and used the broken string of lights, she may not have found the broken bulb, and it could have caused a fire! Then I would be responsible! Thanks for taking care of that situation, Lord!!)
Here is the white tree:
