Monday, December 10, 2012

More Than Christmas Lights



When I was a little girl I always looked forward to the night our family would pile in the car to go for a drive to see the Christmas lights. We’d wander all over SE Portland, but we would always end up at one particular street near Mt Tabor just a few miles from our house. I don’t remember the name of the street, but we called it Candy Cane Lane. This cul-de-sac included about 20 houses all on one side of the street with a park on the other, and it ended with a large turnaround. Every house on Candy Cane Lane was decked out with twinkling lights and Christmas figures in the yard. One house even had Santa’s sleigh and eight reindeer on the roof. Sometimes residents dressed up in elf costumes and passed out candy to the kids in the cars. We always loved that!



But my favorite part came when we reached the turnaround where a live nativity had been set up. All the cars would slow down as they drove past to look into the stable and see Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in the manger. We’d roll down our windows and listen to Away in the Manger or Silent Night playing in the background.

I loved visiting Candy Cane Lane…because even amid all the colorful decorations and twinkling lights the true meaning of the holiday was not forgotten. Looking into the manger and seeing the baby there made a deep impression on my heart, and I still cherish Him today. . . Jesus the True Light of the World.

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12


Carrie Turansky is the author of ten inspirational romance novels and novellas, including her latest, Snowflake Sweethearts. www.carrieturansky.com

6 comments:

  1. Carrie, I love the Christmas lights, too, and I love to decorate. Thanks for sharing your childhood memories.

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  2. What a gorgeous sight! I love seeing the lights and the nativity scenes. I live in a wintery climate, and I remember as a child feeling awful that Jesus had to be born in a cold stable with all that snow around. What a relief to later learn that Bethlehem probably didn't have snow.

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  3. I love having the Christmas lights on the tree on! It just gives the dark house a special "glow" that makes the house warmer. My husband turns them on when he leaves for work and when I get up in the morning, it's a treat to get up to! I also love to drive around town at night and see them on people's houses! I live in a wintery climate also.

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  4. Carrie, I've been to Candy Cane lane too!
    I didn't know you grew up around Portland.

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  5. I love looking at the lights also. Last year I was in Victoria and at a friends place for a meal and we went looking at lights. One house was so beautiful they also had a manger. They had the house decked out with so many different displays in different windows like villages etc. but as you go in there is a beautiful manger scene that is just stunning. This house was the pick of the night.
    One we saw had both nativity and secular but it was a hotch potch and lost its effectiveness. If they had divided it it would have been good.

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  6. Near us is a man who is a professional animater by day. He does his house up so that in the backyard pool, he has Rudolf on an iceberg like from the movie.

    It's too cool.

    I love lights.

    ReplyDelete

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