thankful thursday - christmas lights

As a child I always looked forward to that time of year when the Christmas lights on houses in our neighborhood would get flicked on, usually sometime right after Thanksgiving. Back then everyone had the same type of outdoor Christmas lights - the big C-9 bulbs that were strung on your house. Most people just followed their roof line but the "really cool" ones wrapped them around tree trunks and windows.

Fast forward to the 21st century and there are all kinds of different outdoor Christmas lights - C-9 lights, icicle lights in various color schemes, mini lights, rope lights - and all with various options (LED, flashing, cool or warm white, ...). And then there are lighted lawn decorations - Santa, reindeer, candy canes, manger scenes, you name it!

This week as I was driving home and saw houses lit up with Christmas lights,  I was reminded of another Christmas light - one that shone in the sky over two thousand years ago. It was the star that guided the wise men to Bethlehem and stopped over the place where a baby, the newborn king of the Jews, the Messiah was. When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy and when they saw Jesus, they bowed down and worshipped him before giving him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2)

I am thankful for Christmas lights and displays because although many of them are of a secular nature, their brightness reminds me of the star of Bethlehem and the Christ child. 

And that fills me with peace and joy.