This photo was taken early this month when I was visiting the beautiful Dallas Arboretum.
I've always enjoyed this explanation of what it's like to be a Christian.
JUST LIKE A PUMPKIN
Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God chooses you from His patch brings you in and washes all the dirt off. He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of fear, envy, hate, anger and disbelief. Then He carves a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.
Many Christian parents wonder if they should
celebrate Halloween with their children. We always have. We are not celebrating
evil witches and scary monsters. We’re participating in a ‘holiday’ that is fun
to prepare for – costumes and carved pumpkins, candy apples, carmel corn, and
best of all, the adorable
neighborhood children who come to our door in costume.
If you explore the history of Halloween, you’ll
find, like many other holidays, it has Christian roots. It’s difficult to pin
down a date specific, but we can probably go back as far as the early hundreds.
The Druids, who were priests of ancient Gaul and Britain, believed that
witches, demons and spirits of the dead roamed the earth on the eve of November
1st. Bonfires were lit to drive away any bad spirits that might be present. To protect
themselves, they offered treats, like candy. This is where the question 'Trick or Treat?' comes from. They also wore a disguise or costume to look like the imagined spirits so they wouldn’t be harmed.
Halloween is a fun event for children who love the
mysteries of witches and gremlins and the excitement of being scared. What fun they have dressing up as a ‘make believe’ character, eating candy, and carving pumpkins
into what we commonly call jack-o’-lanterns.
I thank you Lord that we can see your influence all around us and
help us to be reminded that YOU are the genesis of our celebrations. Help us to
find a blessing in Halloween.