Christmas Lights

When I was a young child, viewing neighborhood Christmas lights was an important part of every Christmas celebration.  Since we lived in a hotel instead of a real house, we weren't able to decorate outside as we might have wished.  So, two or three times each December, we all piled into the car after dark, and Dad would drive slowly through the Norfolk streets in search of the best colorful light displays.  Usually, the lights outlined the edge of a roof or a window, or were draped around an evergreen tree in the yard.  In the early 1960s, the lights were always brightly colored--sometimes all  red or blue, but often multicolored.  White lights were never used.  The light bulbs were larger than the small lights that are seen so often now.  Sometimes, the lights blinked off and on, but the light displays were not at all high-tech.  Then, as now, the more extensive displays attracted the most attention.

Now, white lights cascade off roof edges in imitation of icicles, and outline life-sized figures of deer.  Huge, blow up figures of Santa and snowmen hide whole houses from the view of curious onlookers.  Elaborate displays of lights flash on and off in sync to Christmas music that you can tune into on your car's radio. 

My children love to drive slowly past the biggest and best light displays.  Even Levi is content to sit quietly for several minutes in front of a house with elaborate decorations, especially when the whole scene is animated in time to the music.

You would think that my husband, the electronic engineer, might like to decorate the outside of our house with elaborate lights.  All of our children have begged and pleaded at times, without much success.  When Meagan was about ten, she persuaded Bill to bring home his bucket truck, and the two of them strung lights around the huge blue spruce in our front yard.  That's the only time the bucket truck has ever been used in our yard, so unfortunately, the remnants of those forsaken lights are still visible in the top of the tree.  Levi begged for lights, too, so Bill brought home the five small Christmas trees that we still use.  This is the third time that Levi and I have put them next to the lamp post, in the front yard.  (They are pictured in the top photo.)  Levi is content, for now, because we have some outside lights, and Bill is content, too, because he doesn't have to put up or take down a more elaborate display.  By the time Levi is a teenager, I suspect that he will design and build something bigger and better.

Our Christmas tree sits inside, in front of a window, so it, too, can be seen from the street.  I love to see its lights aglow in the darkened living room.  I think about the days, long ago, when people would bring in a cedar tree from a nearby field, and decorate it with homemade paper ornaments, strings of popcorn, and candles, which would be lit for only a few minutes on Christmas Eve; any more would risk catching the tree on fire, or even burning down the house. 

No matter what the light source, twinkling Christmas lights serve to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world, the one God sent into the world as a baby.  Now, the star at the top of our Christmas tree hearkens back to the time of Jesus' birth, when a bright star appeared in the sky to guide the wise men to Him.  

This Christmas, I hope that the beautiful, sparkling lights will remind you of Jesus.  Wise people still seek Him.