Going It Alone

He is all by himself. The place he calls home has nothing in the immediate area. But hundreds pass by during the day and through the night. Eleven months a year, most don’t even pay him any attention. But this is his month, this is his time, and for these few weeks he has an important job.

He is the Evergreen community Christmas Tree.

No ornaments. No garland. No sign to point to him. But still he sits there year round waiting for this month of joy, celebration, tradition, and community. And Saturday, all the eyes were on him. With scores gathered, candlelight and carols, cocoa and cookies, hayrides and hotdogs … the moment came and the lights that had sat in excited expectation were lit up.

Now, he sits in the field, and his lights shine in the darkness. Alone.

But not alone. He has hundreds of lights that encircle him. They shine and sparkle in the morning mist. They highlight the inverse conical shape of the tree. And they draw the eyes of every person that passes by.

You see, there is an advantage to being alone in a field. If he had many tree brethren around him, his light might be blocked, his moment he waited for might not be seen by those that pass by. If all his brethren had lights too, then this individual tree might have gotten lost in the crowd.

Sometimes in life, we don’t know why we seem all alone, we feel isolated and even ignored. If this is you, let me share two encouraging words …

First, you need to know that in the silence, in the darkness, and in the unknown – God is still at work. He is protecting, providing, and putting all things into place. While your waiting, remember He is working.

Second, God can use the lessons you learn from the loneliness so that you can reach others going through similar circumstances. It may be the very isolation you sometimes feel that God wants to use to reach others. The tree shines in the field, all alone, but it helps remind me God can use even me when I too feel alone.

May I shine where I am planted … and may He use my light to brighten those that pass by … and may He get the glory out of it all. God is at work!