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Christmas Lights
- Dee Dee Ashenfelter
- Dec 22, 2019
- 3 min read
We finally got our tree up. A little late I know, but some years it’s been Christmas Eve before we put it up, so really, we’re doing pretty good this year. All we need to do now is decorate it. LOL!
We love this tree. It’s called Cashmere, with soft and frayed edges. The best part is it’s pre-lit. Just put the trunk together, plug it in, fluff, and decorate. Honestly, I would be happy just leaving the lights and forgetting the decorations. They are so pretty and probably my favorite Christmas decoration of all. A tree without lights just looks like a decorated tree. But add lights and something magical happens.
When I was younger, living with my parents, I enjoyed sneaking into the living room on Christmas Eve after everyone else had gone to bed to sit and look at the lights on the tree. It was an opportunity to reflect on whatever was on my mind at the time. It became my own personal tradition and one that I still enjoy doing today. There’s something about sitting in the dark quietness of the night, cozy on the couch with a blanket wrapped around me, watching the ethereal glow from the lights on the tree, knowing my family is tucked safely into their bed, sleeping. It’s a very sweet moment.
When David and I were dating and even as a young married couple, he would drive me around town to look at Christmas lights every year. We might listen to the radio but more often he would break out into “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”. Sometimes, I would join in and we would continue singing other Christmas songs we knew. It was very romantic and something I looked forward to every Christmas. Since that time, we have frequented the fancier light displays in Chickasha, Duncan, and various other places with friends and family. We always have fun, but those early years hold a special place in my heart because then, it was a simpler time with just he and I, enjoying the spirit of the holiday together.
The church I attend has begun a new tradition of having a candle-light service every December, following an evening of Christmas singing, instrumentals, poems, readings, etc. We turn the lights down, light our candles, and sing Silent Night, acapella. It’s a beautiful and emotional service that reminds us just how much Jesus loves us. The fact that He would leave His home in Heaven and be born a baby here, on the very Earth He created, to offer a way of salvation for everyone is overwhelming. Although candles aren’t the same as Christmas lights, they are the origin of lighting the Christmas tree and continue to be a beautiful and meaningful addition to any Christmas celebration or display.
In the clamor and chaos of the holiday, Christmas lights shine quietly and beautifully, adding charm and enchantment to the season. They are a reminder to slow down, enjoy the celebration, and soak in a few tranquil, peaceful moments to reflect on Jesus and the gift he has given us.
Just like lights on the Christmas tree illuminate the decorations and add to the beauty and glory of the tree, our light shines in the world through our good works which glorify God, the Father.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Even as all light needs a source, we also need a source for our light which is Jesus Christ.
For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Looking at lights provide an opportunity for quiet contemplation of God’s presence and love for us, giving us a sense of peace. God is with us in the quietness and stillness of those moments and is the only source of true peace in our hearts and in the world.
Be still, and know that I am God:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile
I wish you all a few quiet moments to enjoy the lights, feel the warmth of God’s love wrapped around you, and experience the peace and joy in your heart of knowing Jesus.
Merry Christmas!
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