Bright Lights

'Tis the season, and I absolutely love this time of year. There is so much joy and so many things to be thankful for.

Someone asked me what I enjoyed the most about Christmas, and I had to take a moment to really ponder this. I absolutely love the atmosphere of Christmas, giving gifts, seeing lights, listening to Christmas music, and being with friends and family. However, there is something else that I had never really put into words before until last night.

Christmas brings light to a very dark season.

I think this is a rather interesting concept. In one of the most dreary and freezing cold times of the year, the streets are lit for miles. There is so much joy just in the simple process of admiring Christmas lights.

Christmas could not have a more appropriate title. Christ brought his light to a dark and dying world. Like the lights that make the city shine so brightly this time of year, a light so much more powerful was brought to a dismal world and continues to shine through every season.

No wonder there is so much joy. For a society who tries to take God out of absolutely everything, they have indirectly put Him right back in through the simplicity of hanging up Christmas lights. They shine and remind people of the joy that the season brings. However, do we really stop to think about the true light that was brought to us on that Christmas day over 2,000 years ago? I do not know about you, but that makes me even more joyful just thinking about it!

One of my favorite things to do during Christmas time is go around and look at all the lights. 21 years later, I understand why. It signifies so much more to me than just the commercialized scene that Christmas has become. It is a demonstration of the beacon of hope I look to and serve every day of my life. Christmas joy does not have to be only once a year. Christmas joy is eternal for we have the light 365 days a year.

So I challenge you this year to look at the lights in a new way. Yeah, they are fun and colorful and a happy reminder of one of the most wonderful times of the year. But don't forget the light that came into this world to save us all. That is a light that shines more brightly than any bulb could do justice.



'Tis the season! I will enjoy every minute of it. :)

Love you guys,
Em