So welcome each other, in the same way, that Christ also welcomed you, for God’s glory. Romans 15:7
All seven of us pulled on our coats, hats, mittens, heavy socks, and boots, but this time we didn’t even dread the task of donning all this heavy outerwear. The reason being, we were going to have a merry event of visiting a Christmas tree farm to cut down a real bonafide Christmas tree. With the excitement of Chevy Chase, our focus was to get the best Christmas tree ever, a live one with all the needles, sap, and glorious smells to waft through the halls of the Calvert home.
We followed the map and arrived at our destination, far out in the rolling hills of the country. Evergreen trees of every size decorated the landscape, and in the middle, was the cutest little farmhouse with smoke rising from the chimney. We went inside with all the many other people and took off our heavy coats. I was still in the kitchen with the women taking off the baby’s snowsuit and my three-year-old daughter clinging to my side.
John, my husband, and the older boys were in the living room, having a conversation with the men. Finally, my husband asked, “What time do we go cut down the tree?” One man replied, “After we eat our meal, we will load up the wagons and head up the hill to get a tree.” John, with a puzzled look, asked, “A meal?” Usually, Christmas tree farms offer hot cocoa and cider with maybe a hotdog, but that’s it. The man replied, “Yes, this is our family reunion.”
With horror, John realized we were in the wrong place. We were official family reunion crashers, all seven of us. The Christmas tree farm, it seems, was just up the road. John and the boys exited quite quickly, leaving me in the kitchen working on stuffing the baby back into that darn snowsuit. I was so embarrassed and wanted to get out of there while people laughed and said, “We were wondering who those people were.” Yep! We were “those” people.
We can laugh now when we look back, and these are the stories that make for fun memories. Because of the Christmas gift of Christ Jesus, we can belong to a real family, and we know wherever we go, we are in the correct place. When we reach our final destination, God will say, “No need for twinkle lights on a tree, for I am the light of the world. No need for embarrassment, for you are cleansed through the blood of Jesus. No need to worry, for you are family. You are invited to eat the feast at my table. Welcome!”
Thank you, Jesus, for making us a part of the Christian family reunion. Amen.
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