Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Not One of them Missing


Photo by Allison Smith

I love pre-lit Christmas trees! What’s not to love? You pull them out of the box and WOW instant light. No untangling strings of lights, or wrapping miles of lights round and round the tree. They are always perfectly positioned each branch evenly lit. They are great…. until those lights burn out and that is where I am this year. I got one of my tree up, plugged it in waited to see the perfectly lit tree only to find it was only partially lit up. I tried and tried to find the bad light that kept the others from lighting. Evidently peer pressure is rampant in Christmas lights, one does it and the crowd follows. I even bought a tester gun to make it easier. With my husband and I testing everything that didn’t twinkle, a little red tester gun, and new lights to change out the bad lights we worked steadily for two hours and tested 1000 lights. Each light that we replaced we waited for it to be the one that would cause our tree to explode with light but with each light we were more and more frustrated. Finally, we had tested every light with no success, I felt like a failure. One little light and with all my powers I could not find it. As I pined for my perfect tree I remembered a scripture that I just loved. It was Isaiah 40:25-26.

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one is missing. Isaiah 40:26

I love this scripture for many reasons but I love the part that says “not one is missing”. I think God was driving his point with a little humor. Don’t you love it?
I couldn’t help but contrast myself, who couldn’t find one lost light less than and inch long with He who created the starry hosts and called each one by name without even one missing. How often do I forget how powerful our creator really is and how often do I try, in my frailty, to do things on my own without trusting Him who has “great power and mighty strength.

My pre-lit tree is now adorned with old fashion strings of lights, the branches are not perfect but it is still twinkling beautifully reminding me of the starry host that our wonderful Lord brings out one by one with not one missing.

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