Every branch can be used in the kingdom

The last couple of years I’ve been blessed with the most beautiful greenery from a man who sets up a Christmas tree lot in our town.  A couple years ago we bought our live Christmas tree from him.  Last year, since we were going to be traveling to New York City for Christmas, and hadn’t planned to put up a tree,  I asked him if I could gather some greenery to take home and decorate my house and planters, and he gladly agreed.  This year, I went back, and once again, he graciously allowed me to fill my trash bag to overflowing with greenery from his stack of branches at the back of the lot.  The stack I pick from is his discard stack.   Thankfully, he even offered me his clippers, since all I’d brought was my trash bag and gloves.

The experience of going today was wonderful and wonder filled.

I see and hear The LORD in everyday life.

And it was in the moments when I got home and had poured out the lush contents of my black trash bag on the grey slate back porch and started sorting them in to like-branches piles, that I saw and heard Him in my everyday life.  I was anticipating the fun of placing the greenery in urns and vases and finding cozy spots to place them in rooms inside the house.

The urns were very large, and I placed them at the back porch entrance stuffed to overflowing with pine branches.  The fresh greenery is so very lovely to me.  I have two medium sized vases – one cut crystal, and the other a white milk glass. The first one, I would guess was my mothers.  The second, I would guess was my grandmothers.    The cut crystal vase, I put in The Salesman’s office and the milk glass is in the breakfast room.

Then I brought out a varied assortment of small vases and cruets to fill.

Not a branch was wasted.

Although I enjoyed the big arrangements, I certainly saw beauty in the little arrangements and marveled at how lovely each one was to me.

One looked very artsy – it was going in Victoria Leigh’s room. And I knew exactly which ones I wanted to go in certain rooms, and which one I’d enjoy most on the kitchen window sill.

Some of the vases only held one branch. Such beauty in the simple, single branch. Elegant. Peaceful. Serene.

It was there while I was bent down using what were mere clippings, or leftover branches from the larger arrangements, and having joy in placing them in containers, that I sensed The LORD say:

“Every branch can be used in the kingdom.”

I heard it while filling the little vases and cruets.  Not while filling the urns or large vases; but, while filling and arranging the greenery in the small vessels.

Why did I relate so to the small vessels?

Why did I choose the solo branch for the kitchen window sill where I spend the most time in a day?

Is it because I relate to being alone?

Is it because I feel that my contribution is small?

What about you? Do you:

Think you are too little?

Think what you do, doesn’t matter?

Think your contribution for the kingdom is too small?

Any one feel they have been cut from the lot and put on a discard pile?

I have some good news, my friends:

“Every branch can be used in the kingdom.”

Hallelujah.