Christmas Lights
This past weekend Wes and I went for a long ride through various local areas looking at Christmas lights and yes the scenario that presents itself in the commercial was there as we passed house after house. There were many that had their lights in an exact row and everything was perfectly organized and color coordinated and yes, they were beautiful to look at. But, also, just as in the commercial, there is the homeowner who simply can't seem to get everything to look just so.
One guy let his string of house lights literally drop off the end of his house and onto a bush that was at that corner. It looked as if he got tired of hanging the lights and so left the tail end wrap itself in the bush.
Or there was another house where it appeared as though he had perhaps purchased rope lights on a sale that was buy one get fifteen strands free. The rope lights just wouldn't quit, he had looped them around, under and through "everything".
Then there was one house where every 4th light was straight up in the air while the others hung down normally. Not sure if he was skimping on clips or what was going on there.
Another home owner appeared to have run out of multi-colored lights and so finished decorating with whatever he had lying around the house. So, half his house had colored lights and the rest were white and on the white strands there was about 1 out of every 4 or 5 lights that was actually lit.
Sometimes there were snowmen who should have been standing tall and proud, but, the air seemed to have deserted their bodies, so they lay half bent over looking as though they were sniffing the snow.
Every time we passed an immaculate house of lights I would jokingly say "Hmm, I bet they have those lights with clips!"
However, I would have to say that when it comes to looking at those houses with the disorganized lights on their homes or the ones that had the yard 'filled' with lit up candy canes standing in every direction, a Santa or Snowman that was standing or lying in the front yard, perhaps with a burnt out bulb or those homes that had mismatched and frantic looking light displays, those were the ones that made us smile. Not because we were being unkind or judging that home, but, to look at those homes made me happy. They were celebrating. I imagined those homes being decorated by a tired daddy who was only doing it out of love for his kids and he knew they wouldn't notice if the rope lights were wrapped around haphazardly or perhaps a it was grandpa who's just not interested in moving that ladder one more time in the cold and it's going to have to be fine the way it is. But, deep down he knows from experience that his grandchildren will love the lights grandpa put up no matter what they look like.
As we rode along in the dark admiring the various views I was thankful for people who have discovered the art of celebrating the season. Those lights, with or without clips were saying something. They were sharing with the world a little bit of who they are on the outside. No, some didn't have it all together, they may not have had a 'theme' and sometimes it looked like they were just throwing whatever they had in the box marked "Christmas Lights" onto the house, long orange extension cords included, but, the homes looked happy.
We are like that too though aren't we? Some days, things work out really really well. All our ducks or bulbs as the case may be, are in a row and life rolls along so nicely and we feel like we're on top of things and we can present ourselves as being pulled together. Then there can be many days when we don't have it all together, we're not perfectly lined up and sometimes our bulbs are a bit on the dim side. Many times we feel like we don't know where we belong in this world and sometimes we just feel scattered or like everything is falling to pieces during a time of discouragement and we just want to puddle to the ground like some of those rope lights we saw. And at other times we may even feel like we're that one bulb trying to stand up in a world that is trying to pull us down or maybe we don't want to be the one standing up because that makes you a target for someone's hurtful remarks. And still sometimes your spirit can sag like some of those strings of lights that we saw drooping off the roof, your barely holding on and you long for someone or something to offer encouragement.
Life can be, no, life is a roller coaster of emotions. And as you age, those roller coasters become harder and harder to endure, often because you think and overthink...a lot! You look back and wish that you had done so many things differently, you wish that you had taken the time to treasure your children or your spouse more. That maybe you had been more open to anyone and everyone about your faith.
You often wonder, "What if...".
You examine your present and wish that you were smarter, prettier, more thankful, closer to God. And then you look into the future and pray, pray for your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your friends and church. The praying never ends. I now understand a bit better the verse that says 'pray without ceasing'...for me, now, that's not so much a command as it is a deep profound yearning to talk to God..at night...instead of sleep.
And still, through all those emotions, good or bad, deep down there's still that small desire that I believe most of us have to experience once again the childlike wonder at this time of year. That desire to see the people around you happy and encouraged, the longing to have those who are hurting be freed from their pain and experience moments of joy, that forgiveness would be offered as freely and fully as that Christmas table that groans with mounds of food, that the love for God that is in your heart would never dull, you know that love that propels you to move closer to God and to ask Him to show Himself. Love came down. Joy to the World. Peace on Earth.
So, if the world can celebrate and it will, whatever it believes, so we as Christians should be donning our party hats for the King. Because we have so much more to celebrate (Salvation), so much more to look forward too (Heaven), so much more to be thankful for (Friends & Family).
After all, no matter whether all our bulbs are working or not, whether we even have all our bulbs in a row or perhaps their perilously hanging from the eaves, it doesn't change the fact that God loves us exactly how we are. And that brings out a sense of delight that comes from so deep down inside ourselves that even in the midst of chaos, even in our darkest moments of sorrow, even on that roller coaster we call life, we can experience joy! And just thinking about that right now, lifts my own spirits a lot.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8
Comments