Manson's Memo 12/14

From the 12/14 Artesia Christian Church Newsletter:

I got our Christmas lights put up last weekend.  My
preference is multi-colored; Jane, Eric and Dan prefer
all white.  Since Eric and Dan don’t live here
anymore, and since Jane left it up to me, the colored
ones are shining this year.  Or at least they are now.

On Saturday, after I put them up and plugged in the
timer for them to come on automatically, Jane and I
went of to Hollywood to see a movie.  It was dark by
the time we got home (we made a few stops on the way.)
And as we drove in, Jane asked, “Where are our
lights?�  I knew where the lights were, they were up
along the edge of the roof.  The problem wasn’t where
the lights were, it was why weren’t they on.

So I had to get the flashlight and check the timer
(it was working), and the extension cords.  At the
connection of the extension cord and the first string
of lights, the plug had pulled out just enough to look
like it was connected, but it really wasn’t.

It occurs to me that this can be true of much of our
experience at Christmas.  We get up all the
decorations – lights, crèche, wreaths, trees,
mistletoe.  We fill our CD players with Christmas
albums and let it just play all day.  We wrap presents
and bake goodies to share with our friends.
Everything about us says it’s Christmas.

But sometimes, the days of Advent and Christmas just
don’t shine.  I wonder if those days aren’t the result
of us letting the plug slip out just a little bit.

Check your connection to Christ so that your lights
will shine at Christmas.