Arbor Day Prayer
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.—Psalm 1:3 (KJV)
For his anger is but for a moment and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.—PSALM 30:5 (ESV)
My mother-in-law loved every holiday and celebrated with sparkle and Pinterest-worthy decorations. Her Stage 4
pancreatic cancer meant we would have only one more of each holiday with her. One more set of birthdays. One more Easter. Thanksgiving. Christmas.
That last Christmas came. She was homebound, wearing a mask to protect her from germs. We arrived with masks on and gifts. Simple gifts: books, magazines, framed school pictures of the kids.
The recent chemo trips had left her with no energy to get holiday decorations out of the attic. No tree and no light, no angels or Santas. Christmas cards sat unopened in the kitchen.
My husband and I headed out to shop for Christmas decorations. It was Christmas Eve and I didn’t expect to find many holiday options at stores. The shelves were nearly bare except for some lights and tinsel. One Charlie Brown tree sat next to the garden aisle fertilizer. We bought everything that they had.
While my mother-in-law slept, my husband, the kids and I put up strands of lights and filled in the bare spots of the tiny tree with butterfly ornaments. When she woke up, it was Christmas morning. Just like when I was a child, there was a tree and gifts and a celebration. There was new joy in the holiday morning!
Lord, help us celebrate your love and joy in whatever moments we can find them.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.—Psalm 1:3 (KJV)
But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.—Jeremiah 10:12 (NIV)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?—John 11:25–26 (NIV)