Sharing the Light

 Yesterday we had a day off - our first in a long while. It was a glorious, yet insanely busy, day off. We went back to the Kokomo area for the first time since Ryan said his final goodbyes to his work, and we were gone from early in the morning until, well, early this morning. We finally rolled back into the very sleepy town of Grabill about 12:30 this morning. (I'm gonna need a nap today!!)

Most of our drive home was on the interstate, but by the time we exited and headed on the final stretch toward home, our legs were restless from sitting so long, our eyes were beginning to droop just a bit, and we were eager for a little bit of sleep before hearing the alarm blast.

We left behind the bright lights of parking lots and businesses and headed into the quieter neighborhood areas, and I leaned forward to look for them.

Christmas lights. 

It was already after midnight, and I figured even people who stayed up late or left their lights on a timer were likely to have turned off the trees by midnight. They were saving a buck or two, and I didn't blame them. 

But then...I saw it. Right there on the left side of the road, in a house with a living room window made for Christmas trees, was a magnificent tree with all the white lights twinkling out into the darkness. It was cozy and lovely and made my heart skip a beat.

Then, a mile or so later, another one on the right. This time only half the tree was visible, but I caught it peeking out from under a half-dropped blind. 

And then I saw the house with not just a tree, but all the trees and bushes outside layered in ropes of colored lights. Even the driveway was lined all the way to the back. 

I sat back in my seat, stretched my legs out as far as they could go in the space I had, and smiled the most contented kind of smile. God bless those people - the ones who left their lights on late for the people inching their way home far too late in the night. Bless them for sharing cozy, twinkling joy after hours.

I'm eager to join them. I'm looking for ways to add light to not just our apartment, but this whole building, to share with those who walk down the sidewalk or drive down the street. On dark nights and dreary evenings, I'm ready to share the cozy light of Christmas. There's just something about it that puts a little spark in the heart in the middle of a pretty hard year. 

While we're all about being frugal here in Shafferland, I would also submit that maybe a few times, it's okay to leave the lights on a little extra long this year - just to share some joy. I know this weary traveler appreciated it yesterday!