Christmas lights and the decked-out deer

When it comes to decorating with Christmas lights my husband takes on the philosophy of one of our previous pastors: he who has the idea to do something needs to take charge of getting it done. And so the task of illuminating our corner of the neighborhood usually falls to me.

I can get a little OCD about it.

One year (this was a long time ago and my tastes have since improved) I became fixated with purple and aqua colored lights. I bought a strand of each and carefully replaced every other light with alternating colored bulbs, making my own unique arrangement, which I proudly strung over the yew bushes in my front yard.

 The next morning I noticed deer tracks trailing across the lawn—right up to my yew bushes. But it was the glimmering specks in the snow that really caught my attention—aqua flecks, purple one too. Upon closer examination I discovered half the strands of lights were missing, pieces of them trailing off to the nearby woods.

Apparently a young buck munching on my yews, bit through a wire, got shocked, and took off with my lights tangled in his antlers. Imagine some hunter’s surprise as he peered down his scope and saw his deer decked out in aqua and purple!

(There is really nothing enlightening about this story!)  But...

 This year, as I look out at the white LED lights strung around the dogwood in the driveway, decorating the Christmas tree in the living room, and brightening the fireplace mantle, I think about how comforted I am by every tiny beam of light in darkness.

Surrounded this Christmas by some of my children and grandchildren, I pray that I would be a reflection of the One who is the Light of the world, the One who brings comfort and gives hope to a darkening world.

Lord, You are clothed with splendor and majesty. You wrap yourself in light…great are your works. I pray that each one stopping by this post would drink from your river of delights, would see light in Your light, and receive hope in journeys through darkness.

Merry Christmas