tree down!

tree down! tree down!

i have finally realized it's time to take the most unbelievable christmas tree down. it reaches nearly to my ceiling. the branches go almost to the floor, and it seems nearly as wide as it is tall. it is full and absolutely beautiful. it has been a close running between being too daunting a task vs. too beautiful and enjoyable to remove.

i set here now, in the quietness of the midnight. all the decorations are off. had i had something ideal to do with the 1200 lights that are on it, to the tune of 8 strands, they would be off too. the tree is naked except for the lights which illuminate the room. oh wait! i see 2 lonely little ornaments buried in the branches...forgotten.

forgotten. now there's a word. i have been forgotten and felt forgotten. seemingly the same thing, but entirely different. we all are familiar, to varying degrees, with the feelings of being forgotten.

lord, help me to recognize those who feel forgotten. help me remember those the world has forgotten. as i start up a new hill this year with my backpack full of hope and promises fulfilled, somewhere inside lurks a fear of god forgetting about me...again (or so it seems some days), waiting for a spark to help fan it into a full flame.

ahh, but see, i have a promise to hold, and those in my life that know and can speak to that promise, are doing so, all the while causing me to feel found and properly positioned vs. forgotten. i want to do the same! may i be the one, for someones sake, who remembers them...who doesn't forget them...who causes them to not feel forgotten.

for now, i need to rescue some lonely, forgotten ornaments. tomorrow, hopefully it will be a life.