Blinded By The Lights

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus^[a] that the whole empire^[b] should be registered. ² This first registration took place while^[c] Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

⁴ And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, ⁵ to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him^[d] and was pregnant. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

Deb and I were up in West Tennessee this past weekend celebrating Christmas a bit early with that side of the family.  When there was a pause in family fun time we went out to look at some Christmas lights she had noticed a few weeks ago while decorating her Mom’s home.

Now, she had warned me that this was a pretty special display that had ALL SORTS OF LIGHTS, and there were a bunch of them, and a beautiful Nativity scene as well.  So, as you can imagine, I was as anxious as any other man to go light peeping…  Well, we drove for a while and there it was on the left, truly a light show for the ages.  There were snowmen, blue trees covered in 6 foot snowflakes, Santas and elves and reindeer and everything you can imagine in the great American Christmas experience lit up like a major airport on a foggy night.  But to save my life I couldn’t find the Nativity scene no matter how hard I looked.

Deb enjoyed my frustration because she had warned me and knew that I had been determined to find that darn nativity scene no matter what.  She drove on for a bit and turned around and this time we passed the display on our right – AND THERE IT WAS AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!

I can’t explain how I missed it.  Whether it was intentional or just a random optical illusion you invariably missed the Nativity going one way but saw it in its full glory when you passed the other way.  I guess sometimes that’s how life works – even when you’re trying to see the real story of Christmas you get blinded by the lights.