Merry Christmas dear friends and family.
Have you ever noticed how any time an angel appears in scriptures, the first words they speak are, “Do not be afraid” or “Fear not”. I suspect this is because the mere arrival of an angel is startling and unexpected. Also, perhaps their size and visage, unlike anythig one is used to, is scary. Most Christmas angel decor does not look scary…unless you consider our Christmas angel.
This year as I unearthed our beloved angel Christmas tree topper from her tissue filled box, I was stunned at just how unsightly she had become. If a larger version of her desended from the heavens, knocked on my door or popped up in my room, I would definatley need to hear her say, “Do not be afraid!” She is rather scary looking these days, and yet I love her more each passing year. She is a reminder not only of my growing up years, but of the goodness of God’s grace. Oh, I probably do not need to say, “Do not be afraid” when we meet…but if you could truley see how imperfect I am, know my hidden struggles and failures…you would perhaps gasp and I would say “”fear not”. The Good News is, God has seen and knows all our imperfections and in all our imperfections loves us, redeems us and pours out His GRACE(unearned favor).
Here again, is the annual sharing of The Christmas Tree Angel….Thank you for taking the time to read and share in this season of advent.
I’m not sure where she came from. (update: someone recognized
her and informed me she is a Nuremberg angel!) I’m not even certain of her
age. (update: As a Nuremberg angel, we probably acquired her when my
family lived in Germany when dad was in the Air Force…this would make her well
over 50 yrs!)
She sat atop the Christmas tree for many of my growing up years,
quietly presiding over each holiday season. I acquired her from my mother
many years ago.
Her gold foil, cardboard wings, once ended in perfect points
extending her stature to seven inches. Now her wing span is slightly
reduced, as the tips went from being slightly bent, to folded, until they
eventually tore off. Her dark red velvet dress, trimmed with gold brick
brack, fits snuggly to her waist before flowing over her cardboard form.
Her once silky, radiant white hair, now hangs in brittle coils around her
shoulders. A little gold foil halo covers a place on her head where some
of her hair has given way to the passage of time.
Her head and hands are made of wax, as is the candle she holds in
one hand. I remember her as a beautiful lady, her face perfect and
delicate. Those qualities are now faded. Her head, once held high
and straight, has melted somewhat. It now bows lovingly downward and a
bit to the right. Two years ago a significant amount of time and effort
was put into re-attaching her long held candle to her now miss shaped
hand. Yep, she’s a bit of mess you might say. I like that about
her.
She doesn’t light up or sparkle, and quite often she is too small
for the tree, making her look even more out of place. But I look forward
to her presence in my living room each Christmas. Late at night, when the
tree is lit and others have gone on to bed, I find myself thinking of her and
all we have in common.
I too, know what it’s like to have my wings bent and torn. I
know what it feels like when your body gives itself over to the challenges of
time. My hair is no longer silky or radiant, and I only wish had a halo
to hide the places where it has become thin. I understand the sagging of
her shoulders and the bowing of her head. I have felt the weight every
mother bears for her family. I know the need to bow my head in constant
prayer. I love her imperfection. She’s a holiday reminder
that God loves us in our imperfection.
A love full of grace, a savior born to take on the sin of the world,
a reason to celebrate, reflected in the melted features and unraveled edges of
our Christmas tree Angel.
Tuesday With Teri 