Do You See What I See?

Driving around town after dark these days is much more fun than it is at any other time of the year. You never know what visual delight waits around the next corner. What looks like an ordinary house during the day becomes a magical place when it is outlined with thousands of lights. Trees and shrubs that would never attract any particular attention are transformed when they are illuminated. The great variety of other lawn decorations adds to the enchantment of these holiday evenings when darkness falls so early.

What do you see as you drive by?

Nearly every store has Christmas music playing in the background these days. Sometimes you hear a Christmas carol, but much of the time it’s some holiday song written to add to some recording artist’s holiday record—more lyrics about snow and mistletoe than shepherds or a savior. Still it’s easy to find yourself humming along as you wait in line at the register.

What do you hear as you wander through the mall?

This is the time of year when you probably receive more greeting cards than any other time—unless it’s your birthday. Some folks include lots of news about their family and what has been happening with them since you heard from this last year. Lots of cards have really pretty pictures. A few include the essential good news of the season—the news with which an angel greeted some shepherds in a field thousands of years ago.

What do you know as you open your cards?

In the popular carol, the night wind points out the star to the little lamb, who asks the shepherd if he hears the song; and the shepherd asks the mighty king if he knows about the child who has been born. How easy it would have been for them to miss this momentous occasion had they not seen or heard or known. May you see and hear and know the joy that is yours as the child brings us goodness and light.