We trudged through the snow at the Christmas tree farm trying to find just the right tree.  I wanted a skinny one, Lindsey wanted a fat one and Ryan didn’t really care.  All he wanted was to join his cousins in a snowball fight.  Which, he did.  But not me and Lindsey.  Nope.  We were on a serious tree-hunting expedition.  We circled tree after tree and made comments about each one… “That one’s to scrawny.”  “That one’s too prickly.”  “That one looks like ‘cousin it’ from the Adam’s Family.”  Then after looking at a bazillion trees and nearly freezing our fingers and toes off, Lindsey and I finally agreed on one… an absolutely beautiful “fat” balsam fir.  Lindsey was right… fat trees are best.  We took it home.

Now I’m not a perfectionist about everything… just some things.   For example, I like the top sheet on my bed to be folded just a couple of inches over the edge of the comforter and I like the pillows propped up with just the right amount of fluffin’.  So what if I have to take a pile of laundry off the bed to make it with such precision, then immediately place the pile back on the nicely made bed.  And, so what if you can’t see the bed for the pile of laundry anyway.   The important thing is – I see a beautifully made bed and that’s what really counts.  Now where was I?  Oh yeah… that perfectionist stuff.  I’m a bit wacky about Christmas tree lights too.  Which leads me to my tree lighting experience.

There it was… our fat tree… in the stand and ready to be dressed.  After plugging in all the strands of lights to be sure they worked, I carefully laid them out on the floor.  My normal method of operation is to start at the bottom of the tree.  I tuck the strand close to the trunk and wind my way to the top.  Once at the top, I wind my way back down around the tree with the lights closer to the edge.  That way I get a nice depth in the lighting.  Ok… ok… so it’s a little odd… but it looks pretty cool.  When all is said and done there are more than a thousand tiny lights on our six-foot tree.  It positively glows.

Here’s what happens next.  I plug in the tree lights, turn off all the other lights then step back and see how I did?  Whoops… that strand is a little too close to this one.  And I move it up a couple of inches.  Uh oh… that one is a little too close to this one.  I move another strand down… just a tad.  Yikes… there’s a dark spot over there… that will take some re-configuring.  A couple more minutes of fussing then… ahhh - just right.  After the lights are in place it’s usually a free-for-all with the ornaments.  The kids hang them any old way – that’s something I’m not a perfectionist about.  Did I mention that I got my wacky genes from my mother?  Cause I did.  I sure did!

Before the kids grabbed the ornaments.  I took one final look at the lights.  Then a giant light bulb went off (in my head).  Wow.  When we’re at church, we’re like a clump of light bulbs – shining brightly.  Yet God intended us to carry our light a little further – beyond the doors of the church.  So He moves a strand of lights a little this way – and gives birth to a Bible study group.  He moves a strand a little that way – and a group of teens visit a nursing home.  Sometimes, He moves a strand to a darker area – and light reaches into the shadowy places in Russian orphanages, or New York City crawl spaces where the homeless take refuge.  Once in a while He moves a single light from one area to another – He plugs them into a strand that didn’t work at all because a single bulb was missing.  Suddenly the new bulb starts the whole strand glowing… it’s especially beautiful when that happens.

This year… in 2004… I challenge you to be a light bulb for the Lord.  Trust in the Lord as He moves you, separates you from other strands.  Look for opportunities to carry your light beyond the walls of your church… into the darker areas.  Look for ways to reach out to others as Christ reached out His arms to us – even unto the hard wood of the Cross.  Shine your light brightly.

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  – Matthew 5:14-16

Side Note:

September 2001  - the Dragonfly Ministries team came together for the firsttime, meeting in Martha's kitchen. A small group of women with a commondesire to serve the Lord... all living within a couple of miles from eachother (in Plano, Texas). Sitting at the kitchen table we prayed together,shared our faith, and hopes and dreams for the Website, and trusted God'sguidance. Little did we know what He had in store for us.  God used thatspecial time in our lives to prepare us for our journey beyond Martha's kitchen.

Mary Black now lives in Houston, Texas.
Martha Shipman now lives in Little Elm, Texas.
Patty Zemanick now lives in Binghamton, New York.
Mary Hamrick  now lives in Vernon Hills, Illinois
Jennifer Young is moving to Austin, Texas
Karis Armstrong lives in Plano, Texas.