The elderly couple eagerly showed me their Christmas tree. Never have I seen a tree so covered with ornaments, or adornments, as the woman called them. Every little branch had at least one ball, bell, bird, cut-out, or souvenir decoration.

            Every item on the tree also had a story. The couple started by telling me about the one they bought for their first Christmas sixty years ago. Then they talked about various adornments purchased while on vacation, the ones given by old friends, and the ones that were bought for special events like their kids’ births. They disagreed, however, about which ornament was from the second child’s birth and which from the third child’s.

            Their tree, of which they were so proud, told a story of their lives. I realized the woman was right in calling the various decorations adornments. Those items, along with the stories behind them, really had adorned their lives.

            As the couple showed me their tree, I realized that their joy was enriching my life. Would that we all could be such joy-filled adornments for each other.

“Be kind to one another, compassionate,

forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.”

Ephesian 4:32