Let the light shine!

As my husband started to put up our Christmas tree, I said, “Oh, hold off just a few minutes, please, so I can wash the windows before the tree goes up.”

Within a few minutes, the living room windows were sparkling clean—inside and out. Cleaning them wasn’t absolutely necessary, since they weren’t all that dirty. Even so, I wanted to do all I could to showcase the tiny white lights on the tree, hoping they would delight folks driving down the street. I know I’m always affected by the sight of soft light in a window, especially on very dark nights. Such light conveys a feeling of peace, of warmth and coziness, of simplicity and timelessness, of …. Thus, I’m happy to let light shine forth from my windows so that others can enjoy it and know that there is life within these walls, that people live here.

Even more appealing than light shining in a window is the light that emanates from people who truly love the Lord Jesus and have a close relationship with Him. Such persons have an inner glow that is obvious to all. Folks are drawn to him or her, eager to know what is producing the glow, the peace, the gentleness, the joy, the love…. The cleaner the windows of the soul, the brighter His light shines forth.

You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

~Jesus (in Matthew 5:14-16, New Living Translation)

Focus on the Savior

Two children rushed to their mother and said, “It’s only 55 days till Christmas!!!”

She didn’t share their excitement over the coming of Christmas. Instead, panic swept over her as she thought of all the extra things she had to get done in those 55 days. Buy (and wrap!) gifts for everyone on the family’s Christmas list. Decorate the tree and house. Mail cards. Attend/Host Christmas programs and get-togethers.

She’s not the only one dreading the coming of Christmas. For many, the images of “perfect” people living “the good life,” especially during the holidays, bring painful awareness that they and their family don’t measure up to such perfection.

Others, who, for various reasons, will be apart from their families at Christmas, dread the pain of loneliness they’ll experience. Still others, weary and worn from the struggles of daily life, feel they have no more energy and/or resources to use for Christmas, since the holiday has become so draining—financially, emotionally, physically…

Such dread, such lack of excitement, regarding the coming of Christmas, isn’t new. In 1849 Edmund H. Sears mentioned circumstances that are much the same for us today: “the woes of sin and strife…years of wrong…man at war with man…life’s crushing load…toil…painful steps and slow…” (“It Came upon a Midnight Clear”).

 What can we do? Mr. Sears advice: “O rest beside the weary road, / And hear the angels sing,” as they did centuries ago to lowly shepherds watching over their flocks. They, like we, yearned for good news, for hope that life would get better. It was to these downcast shepherds that the angel announced the birth of Christ.

Here’s the story, as recorded in Luke 2:8-15, NLT: “That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!’

“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.’

“When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’”

The shepherds ran into the village and found the Baby lying in a manger, just as the angel had said. What great joy they—and everyone else who heard about the birth of the long-awaited Messiah—felt.

Yet, sadly, the joy over that good news has gotten lost in today’s celebration of Christmas. But we can experience it anew if we’ll slow down and shift our focus from the “stuff” of Christmas to the wondrous gift of a Savior who loves us.

© 2012 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill

The Testimony of the Tree

Every year as I prepare to decorate our tree with ornaments that are showing their age, I consider either buying or making new ones. After all, those crafters on TV who demonstrate how to make lovely ornaments out of all kinds of materials make the process seem so simple. Yes, I tell myself, next year I will definitely do something new. But when it's time to decorate the tree the next Christmas, I have neither made nor purchased any ornaments. This year was no exception. But when I hung the old ones on what our firstborn daughter calls our "sentimental tree," I realized that the assortment of ornaments said a lot about our family's history and our values. (Funny, I'd never thought about that before.) 

This year, as always, I got misty-eyed as I hung ornaments made by our daughters when they were in kindergarten and elementary school. Although the construction paper had faded a bit and some of the handcrafted ones weren't very attractive, I enjoyed them because they brought to mind the sparkle in Jennifer and Jena's eyes when they rushed home to show them to me. 

During the years the girls were still living at home, they helped me decorate the tree. I enjoyed listening to them as they reminisced about classmates and teachers associated with the making of those ornaments. 

While I trimmed the tree alone (again!) this year, I smiled as I hung whimsical ornaments we'd bought in order to help raise money for PTA projects. Other ornaments had been made at times when I'd volunteered to assist Jennifer and Jena's teachers with art projects. Those simple ornaments reminded me of two of the many ways we participated in the children's education. Some of the school-made decorations included photos. I held them in my hands a long time and reflected on the way the children were "way back then." 

As I hung ornaments given to us by my college roommate (who is still one of my best friends, even after all these years) and by ladies in Sunday School classes I'd taught, I was reminded of the love and friendship I've enjoyed all these years. 

While hanging some of the various kinds of ornaments I'd made through the years, I thought, You know...I can be creative--whenever I have time. 

As I hung a lovely "store-bought" one that Jennifer had given me, I remembered the handwritten, heartfelt note she'd included in the box with it. 

As I trimmed the tree, I gave thanks for the blessing of having a full and happy life and for having a heart that's content with simple things.

Now that I've finished the decorating, I love looking at our "sentimental tree" even when daylight reveals the age and condition of the ornaments. But each evening I catch my breath when I plug up the lights and see the magical transformation that occurs.

As I see how the light hides the imperfections and casts a beautiful glow on each treasured ornament, my heart echoes these words of David: "LORD, [in like manner] you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness" (Psalm 18:28, New Living Translation), and then I whisper, "Thank you!" (c) 2001, Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill. All rights reserved.