December 10

Hebrews 11:7

For years I have collected Noah’s Ark Christmas Tree Ornaments that have been produced by Hallmark. Each year the artists came up with novel ideas of an ornament telling that great Old Testament story. Since Noah and the Ark is one of my favorite Bible stories, I enjoyed collecting these ornaments, remembering that Noah was a man of faith. Several years ago, I put this collection on display in the Centennial Room not at Christmastime, but at Eastertide. This display went along with the Bright Sunday presentation of the musical Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo.

This year I was greatly disappointed that Hallmark did not offer a Noah and the Ark Christmas Tree Ornament. I searched through the catalog high and low. I scoured the display shelves of the 2018 collection and I could not find one. I called Hallmark in Kansas City and got it straight from them that no ornament of that design was produced this year. I think “the time to quit” collecting ornaments has come! It will be hard to break that habit after so many years, but I have run out of storage space. I have a great collection to hang on the Christmas tree, but the time to quit has come.

My Christmas tree is loaded with ornaments illustrating things I love: the Nativity, the Cross, Marjolein Bastin Nature’s Sketchbook designs, raccoons, cooking and baking, cardinals, Scotties and St. Bernards, Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Coolidge, Santas, Peanuts characters, Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger and company, bells, stars, angels, souvenirs of places I have visited, etc. There are plenty of ornaments to decorate the tree and sooner or later I knew I must quit collecting.

Since Noah and the Ark are not available this year, this time seems as good as any time to quit! Did you hear that sound of Hallmark stock dropping?! (Ha! Ha!) If you see me and it appears I am going to fall off the wagon, please stop me. It will not be easy to quit, but I have a great Christmas Tree Ornaments collection and as I unpack the ornaments and hang them on the tree a flood of memories pours over me. I am grateful and blessed!

~ Alan Harvey

Prayer

O God, we thank You for Noah who was a man of faith and for Jesus Christ the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. We thank You for our Christmas traditions and the joys we have known of trimming our Christmas trees with loved ones and friends. Thank You, Lord! In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.