The Gift of Creating Beautiful Things

My companion, Sister Olson, had a mini-stroke last Monday morning and spent the week at home resting and recuperating. By the middle of the week she was getting restless and bored so I brought home two bedraggled Christmas trees from the office for her to work her magic on. She has such a gift of creating beautiful things. She has adorned our apartment with many beautiful projects and I knew that if those trees could be saved, it would be her that could do it. I didn't take a before picture of the second tree but did of the first. Here is Sister Olson's writings and thoughts that came to her as she was "resurrecting" these trees.

Stripped, then on to Glory - (Tale of Two Trees)

Sister Ball brought home two Christmas trees from the office. One was about 4 feet tall, and looked quite pathetic- poorly cared for and now in disarray. It was to be rejuvenated for the office. It did have a ‘little’ life and we would make do… (Miracles still happen.)

It was stripped down to the bare branches to see what was really there; then each branch was carefully fluffed, and lights added (bottom half were dead). Next came some simple pine-cones (these were varnished), and some gold berries were returned. Bows that had once been used were fluffed and adorned the top with cascading ribbons..  Gold balls were tucked into the branches to add a simple luster.  Lights on… Sigh!  NEW LIFE… and its beauty was amazing!

 Before (above) and After

The second was about 2 feet tall. The branches were smooshed into each other. The needles were silvered at the ends looking more like they were sun bleached; you could hardly have made the excuse that it was a silver pine or such. The lights were dead. A couple of gold chains, one with little pretend lights, haphazardly draped over a part of it. Red fake-velvet bows were tightly tied to the ends of many branches. It was a poor raggedy little tree, drug and stomped on, lifeless - except for the little bit of glitter. Our first thought was that it should just be thrown away - its demise a relief to all that beheld it… Well, really, it looked like nothing good could, or should, come of it.

Oh well. It was the best we had… MAYBE?  Why not try; and no matter what, this could be its last year… 

I was now home alone with this forlorn little thing. As with the first, I determined to strip it first, and then to start at the base and rebuilt it, or try at least… OFF came the red bows, with some effort. Off came the tangled dead lights. Off came the garish gold chains (and ONE not so terrible tiny decorated ball). Sigh. ..Nothing but parched, dead looking branches.

Second was the fluffing:  … straightening EVERY branch… curving each end upwards as though stretching for life… hummm… a little better.

Third, medium sized, silver-tipped pine cones were added (I had done these a few weeks ago with no particular project in mind, and the drab silver tips of the tree seemed to call for something a little more elegant).

Fourth, I had a roll of white ribbon with silver snowflakes. Ahh… A perfect choice to go with the silvered pine cones. Two healthy bows to crown the top with trailing ribbons interwoven down the little tree.

Fifth. A strand of 100 lights was then cuddled into the branches, closer to the middle of the tree.

The intent was to add silver ball ornaments but none were to be found, but when the lights were plugged in..  It was no longer drab and bedraggled, it was resurrected… even quite stunning… HA! It didn’t really need the balls. Simple and simply beautiful… THE FINAL thought (Sister Ball’s) was to add small silver stars, each with one of the names of the Savior, that were set aside for Christmas… but those would be added the 12 days before Christmas. This little tree would then go from a lovely, earthly light, (Terrestial), to a proclamation of Christ’s coming! … Love it!

During the stripping and then resurrecting of these little trees, came the thought that WE TOO must be stripped of the old world and old ways, the garish, the dead… I remembered D & C 67: 10: …strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me…  (also Moroni 10:30-32) We must be stripped of things of the world and become a clean canvas for the Lord.

It is only then that the Master can breathe life into us, (the fluffing) returning us to a newness… and finally, when we are ready for even more, HE adds light,  and just the right adornments as to make us glorious…  Disorganized, chaotic to redeemed glory. 

We see such transformations when converts are baptized and have the Master’s hand mold their lives and hearts into Light! ...  We see this transformation in ourselves when we repent and cast off the world to return to HIS path, HIS way.

All new and renewed life celebrates the birth of the Son of Man…   The process to be glorious and prepared for HIS presence, is much the same as with these little trees.