03/06/2026
Devotional for March 5, 2026
Staking Christmas Trees
24 The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. 25 So Jesus told them: Foreign kings order their people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone’s friends. 26 But don’t be like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. 27 Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn’t it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant.
-- Luke 22:24-27 (CEV)
Over the last two days I have staked and tied about 500 small Christmas trees. I may never see the end result of what I have spent my time doing but have no doubts that many of these young trees will eventually grow enough that someone will come to the farm and choose one of them for their Christmas celebration in a few years. I will finish this project tomorrow morning with about 100 to 125 left to stake and tie. There are three thoughts that have come to me over these last two days that I have been doing this task.
First, the reason for doing this task is so the trees will grow up straight. Due to the fact that some of the trees were laying almost all the way on the ground due to the softening of the ground due to the rain as well as the other weather events they have experienced here at Falcon Ridge Farm. As I result, I attempted to stand the trees back up straight and even tied off some of the places where the trees were growing crooked, hoping to help them straighten as they grow. After all, no one wants a crooked Christmas tree, do they? Second, the process I have undertaken to free my brother-in-law up to do other things is to provide support for the trees so that when more rain and wind come, they will not be bent over again. Hopefully, this will not only allow them to grow tall and straight but also will have time for the roots to grow deeper and the trunk to thicken. The third thought I have had is that this is not a glamorous job as no one is in the field cheering me on and the people who eventually buy these trees will never know what I have done for the last two days. While not glamorous, it is certainly a vital and important part of the process of growing Christmas trees to sale
These three thoughts have spiritual applications for me and maybe you as well. First, in order to grow “straight” and mature as a Christian, we need someone to take the time to tell us about God and His love for us, to help us understand what we are reading in the Bible, teach us to pray, and show us how to live out the Christian journey. Second, we also need someone to help support us when the rain and winds of life come into our lives and cause us to fall over or stumble. And third, to be reminded that being a Christian is not always glamorous, and we may sometimes go unnoticed and that is okay. When some of Jesus’ disciples wanted to have the places of greatest honor, Jesus reminded that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. He also reminded us that serving others is more important than being served. Paul also reminds us in some of his letters in the New Testament that no job is more important than the other.
And so, I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to carry out this task to help my sister and brother-in-law, but also to help some families in the future have a merry Christmas around their tree they got at Falcon Ridge Farm. I am also thankful that God has given me the health and stamina to carry out this task. I conclude with three questions, “Is there something in your life that might needed to be “straightened out” by God and His Word?” “Do you need the “support” of others in your life due to the “winds and rain” blowing right now? And finally, “Will you let God use you through a task that may never be noticed but will make a real difference for someone else?”
Lord, I thank You for the times in which you “straighten my life,” for the support You and others give to me, and for the opportunities to make a difference. AMEN.
