We have a sculpture in our family that has become a cherished holiday heirloom of sorts. It was hastily designed by our children one year when we were unpacking the ornaments for our Christmas tree. Many of the ornaments on our tree were crafted in elementary school or in church activities by each of our four children. Some of them have names on them; many do not. A good number of the ornaments are hanging by a thread, but every year, we get them out, celebrate the memories that they hold, and hang them on the tree in hopes that they will survive one more Christmas.
Our kids thought it would be funny to put all of their handmade ornaments on the kitchen counter with names hidden, and Bob and I had to guess who made each ornament. The winner got the prize. By prize, I mean a trophy crafted from a few plastic cups colored with gold marker, with an ugly Santa head on top. Now the trophy has joined the ranks of bedraggled, but precious decorations we pull out each year.
Hosea tells us that our God will be there to bind us up, to revive us. In a year where many of us feel a little the worse for wear, I take comfort in the steadfast love of our God who patches us up and cherishes us just like the sad collection of precious ornaments waiting in boxes for this year’s tree.
Prayer:
Gracious God, we praise you for your steadfast presence. You bind us up and bring us into your fold that we might know you and feel the light of your healing. Amen.
