There are two boarding homes and one nursing home
in Mayberry. We are on a rotating schedule with
the other Mayberry churches to provide Sunday afternoon
services to the people in these homes. About once a
month we are on the schedule, and yesterday was one
of those days.

Teasingly I have spoken of our Special Little Christmas
Tree. Yesterday at the boarding home there was one of
those spectacularly gorgeous trees. It was probably twice as
tall as I am, and dazzingly decorated in red and gold and
white. The lady responsible for decorating the tree came
through the room we were in and I complemented her on the
beauty before me. That woman just drips creativity from
every pore. I wanted to follow behind her and stand in one
of the puddles and splash in it for awhile.

Our Special Tree is simply decorated. We didn't buy any
new decorations this year. We didn't spend any time thinking
of new things to create to add to the ambiance of the tree.
We just cut it down, put a few lights on it, and then hung as
many ornaments as we could without making it look overloaded.
That is about the limit of what I could do, but we love our
tree!

Okay, I am not making a distinction, necessarily, between much
and little. I thought their tree was tremendous. I think our
tree is terrific. I am making a point about what is fitting
and right. I am making a point about contentment. There is a
lesson to be learned about meeting the need of the moment and
then moving on to the next job. There is a lesson about using
the gifts God has blessed one with and not being dissatisfied
with what is beyond one's ability. There is richness to be
found in the exact life God has surrounded me with and my
part is to enjoy that richness and to seek for ways to make
it more right and fitting for my family.

I want to bring together the following items. I think I
will just list them and you see if they make any sort of
connecting sense to you.

1. This article by Challies on the gifts of the Spirit,
with an emphasis on looking around and seeing what needs
to be done and doing it.

2. This article by Amy (Amy's Humble Musings) where she
quotes Elizabeth Elliot in saying, "Just do the next
thing." (I apologize, I can't get the exact article alone on
this. Just scroll on her page to the article titled EE put
put to the test.)

3. Colossians 3:23--And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to
the Lord and not to men.