Christmas Lights to Share

No one loves Christmas more than my dad. My parents had a way of making it magical every year, and a huge part of that experience was the decorating. There was only one kind of Christmas tree to buy: the biggest one we could find. And there was only one place to put our humongous Christmas tree: in front of the biggest window in our home.

My dad decorated with the neighbors and passersby in mind, and his joy came from seeing others enjoying his work. I have many memories of going outside, in the dark and cold, to make sure that our tree looked as good from the road as it did from the living room. There could never be too many ornaments or too many lights. In fact, if the house couldn’t be seen from a mile away, it just wasn’t lit up enough.

When Jesus teaches that we, as His followers, are to be the light of the world, I picture our house all lit up on Christmas Eve. The light of our faith is not for our benefit only. There are too many people living in darkness for us to selfishly hide our light. In fact, Jesus says that a town built on a hill cannot be hidden. The implication is that, if we are filled with the light of Jesus, we are unable to keep it hidden. We can’t help but illuminate the paths of those around us.

The light of our faith should be as evident from the road as it is from our living room.

Lord, it was never Your intention that I hoard Your light for myself. Help me to step out of my comfort zone and seek to brighten some of the darkness around me.

from Devotions from the Front Porch