This past week, my family and I took a short trip to the mountains. While we were there, we visited a few stores and did some shopping. I was taken aback by the small tree filled with hand-written wishes as I entered one of the stores.
There were so many written wishes. I wanted to stop and pray for each one. Most brought tears to my eyes, and then some a smile to my face and warmth in my heart.
I began to think about the people who wrote these. I wondered if they had prayed or knew the power of prayer. I wondered if anyone who saw them had stopped to pray for them as well.
With this tree, you only saw the wish, not who wrote it or any way to contact them or get them what they wished for. It was obvious that whoever passed by and took the time to read them would know that prayer was the only answer for each hand-written wish.
The more I read, the more my eyes filled with tears. Some wished for family members to beat cancer, to have peace in their homes, to have a fruitful marriage, to be able to be with their family at Christmas, and then there were others who wished for a dog and snow and a “ring!"
I wondered what if someone gave me a card to write my wish on, what it would be. What would be the one thing I would like to wish for? There was just one thought that came to mind.
I’d wish that each and every person would know and feel the love of Christ. That has been the only thing to get me through all of the trials that I have faced in my life. It has also been the one and only thing that has been constant.
There are so many hurting and confused and feel as though no one is listening, but that is not true. God hears our thoughts and our prayers. He knows each and every concern we have. The answer may not always be what we expect it to be, but it is always in his perfect plan.
As I prayed for the wishes I read, I also prayed that even if the answer wasn’t what they wanted that God would wrap his loving arms around each one of them and that they would feel love like never before.
I pray the same things for you that are reading this. I pray that not only at Christmas, but all throughout the year. If you know someone who is struggling, pray for them too.
The world could definitely use a few more prayers and people reading the wishes on the trees. We all, though in different walks or times in our lives, could use a few extra prayers.
God bless you all, and Merry Christmas.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email ashley.carter@1819news.com.
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