CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Many thanks to a Christmas-spirit-seized son-in-law who planned a journey through last night's wintry mix, for a tour of the Visitor's Center down by the Washington D.C. Temple. I wouldn't have believed it possible, but the icy rain actually made the acres of brilliantly illuminated trees and shrubs even more majestic and bright, as if a reward for the crowds who braved the undesirable weather to ...fill the center and grounds.

The nightly concert was wonderful, as were the displays, and trees decorated with international flair. But the lights drew us there, and captivated our hearts.

The anticipation over the first sight of them caused the adults to whisper in childlike tones, "Look, kids! Do you see them? Aren't they beautiful?" A four-year-old's awe was revealed with a hushed swoon, while a three-year-old's excitement ripped loose with a high-pitched squeal, and a baby's notice was revealed by the widening of his bright eyes. The sight was no less lost on us, seizing our breasts with awe and wonder.

It seems fitting that we celebrate Christmas with lights that cause awe and wonder, a tribute to the bright new light that appeared in the sky on the night of Christ's birth, and to the babe Himself, the one Great Light, whose announced arrival brought hope to the weary, and awe to the witnesses of the heavenly host marking the occasion.

I love Christmas lights. I know a few people who hang great lighting displays as a witness to their testimony of the birth of Christ. For others, driving the streets in search of brilliant displays bathed in light is an annual tradition.

Seeking the light.