All the Lights

I have a thing for Christmas lights. Growing up, my dad often drove us around different neighborhoods to see lights. In my teens, the city filled a park with lights and dubbed it the Valley of Lights. We would go every year...multiple times. Now as an adult, I still look for any and every chance I can to see Christmas lights. This year might take the cake.

The day after Thanksgiving, we went to the Mesa Christmas tree lighting.

Then we went to Lights at the Farm, a walk-through, synchronized light show.

Next, we went and saw the Mesa Temple Christmas lights.

Then we went to the drive through Rockin' Christmas synchronized light show.

And to the Fantasy of Lights boat parade.

Are we done yet? I don't know. We might have gone overboard on seeing lights this year, but it's sure been fun!

Dust

The dust hung heavy as the sunlight streamed in through the living room windows. I could see the dust in the air, on the wood, on my hands. And no matter how much I tried to wipe that dust off, it clung to me, and to the surfaces from which I was trying to remove it. Sure, I removed some of it off, but the sun showed just how much more remained.

Life's like that. We've all got hurts, habits, hang-ups, and areas of just plain not knowing. The more we let the light in, the more we see we need to learn, grow, heal, and let go. Letting light in, whether via accountability, or preaching, or teaching, or plain old learning can be painful. It reveals our inadequacies. It shows us how much we don't know. It shows us how much dust yet remains.

But as we learn and grow, some of the dust clears or disappears. The sun exposes and reflects beautifully off the cleaned areas, even as it still shows the dusty ones. Light reveals life just as it reveals stagnation.

I'm not always all about living the vulnerable life. It's uncomfortable. I feel exposed. But if I have to let in the light to get some clarity, bring on the Son.