The Religion of Christmas Deco

Without fail, the Friday after Thanksgiving, many of our neighbors are outside adorning their homes and yards with Holiday cheer. One home, notorious for Christmas lights that cover nearly every square inch of the property, was actually painted green with a red tile roof. They put up their lights a week before Thanksgiving but politely refrained from turning them on until Friday.

"I only put up a few things this year," one friend said apologetically. "I'm homeschooling and that's a priority right now. I just don't have time." Don't feel bad! A friend once chastised me for my lack of homemaking sensibility when she saw a Thanksgiving wreath still on the door after the Friday deadline. You're not a grinch if you replace some of your Christmas deco with something that's eternal and doesn't make your electric bill any higher.

My parents never put up Christmas lights and only pulled out the fake tree and train set from the attic on Christmas eve. But I do remember all the work we did to buy candy and fruit to assemble treat bags for the children in the church. For many of those kids from the neighborhood, that bulging paper bag would be one of the few gifts they received. We were also busy at church with the Christmas program taking center stage. Then we caroled in the below freezing temps, visiting widows who cracked the door open just a bit to request a favorite song. Even New Year's Eve was spent holding hands with church family singing "Glory be to the Father," and ringing the church bell to our hearts' content. If Dad had been hanging up lights, and Mom had been buying an updated wreath for the door, we wouldn't have had time or energy to carol. I know it.

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27. God sees our Spirit driven efforts to love others during this wonderful season, and in his sight, our lives are adorned with brilliant, glorious Christmas deco that can stay up all year long.