"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through Him who gives me strength." ~ Phillippians 4:11-13 NIV
I posted this picture of a winter sunset along with this Bible verse on my Facebook page, Hope to find. Want to know the story behind the photo? This verse and photo actually inspired this posting, so I wanted to share.
It's true, the part about living with plenty and living with less. I have lived both, and learned how to make life work, with little or with much. It's what we do, isn't it? We make do. Or, as the DMB puts it, "We make the best of what's around". One of my favs, and true in its lyric. That's how we survive.
Last year, this outdoor tree was our Christmas tree. We got it as a cast off. It was free to a good home on a neighborhood website -- someone had purchased it before realizing it wasn't the "right" tree.
Picked up for free, I placed it in the only soft soil in the yard, the spot where the septic tank had been recently dug up for emergency pumping. Romantic story, right? Hilarious, but true, the trunk was plunged into the nearly frozen, newly turned soil, and I propped it up with rocks and decorated it with bright LED lights.
You can see the result.
Peaceful beauty.
All for free.
It wasn't for lack of money that we chose to not put up an indoor tree. Truthfully, I have 2 big Ficus trees in my living room that are decorated for nearly every season, so I wasn't lacking for lights or ornaments inside. It was lack of holiday spirit, changes in holiday traditions, and life in general that made me realize this little tree was enough. It matched my spirit that season.
This year, we have made up for it with an 18' tree adorned with hundreds of lights and ornaments, beautifully decorated by many hands with care and fun! Certainly exemplifying plenty! It was a joy to bring this 23-year old tree into our home for the holidays.
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| Whoever took the picture cut off the top of the tree! |
It had stood, year after year, while all the other trees around it were cut and hauled away. New transplants came in, but still it waited for its turn to be turned into a Christmas tree, all adorned in splendor and beauty. Now that it's our Christmas tree, I enjoy it every minute that I am home, turning on the lights early in the morning when it's still dark outside to enjoy the colorful glow.
But nothing lasts forever. When it begins to drop more needles than I care to sweep up, this beauty will take its place, where all of our former Christmas trees go: out in the yard as a shelter for birds during the winter months, sometimes getting sprinkled with bird seed treats. When the weather warms, it will ultimately become fuel for a summer bonfire, going out in a blaze of glory.
The Bible verse I quoted has been nagging me through my subconscious for days. When I looked it up today, I realized -- this verse is my life! I do know what it's like to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.
Somehow, through God's grace, we make it through, no matter what the circumstance. Life isn't easy. This game of Life is not for sissies. But we can persevere. We can strive to be the best we can, regardless -- no despite, our circumstances. Defiantly, maybe. Strong willed, most definitely. And we never have to do it alone. Not for a minute.
Reach out to the hand that is always there. He will gift you with strength. And you can gain hope, knowing that tomorrow will be a different day.
Live on. Live well. We have only this one precious life to live. Here's to new beginnings! Happy New Year! Bring it on!
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