Light Amid Despair

As I was out running errands yesterday, I came upon a rather run-down and dilapidated home. The front yard was nothing but dirt. The house in shambles. A window was broken, but towels were shoved in the space to keep out the cold. The front door was dirty and dented. The trim around the doorway was non-existent. There were some old rusty and broken patio chairs sitting by the front door.

Seeing that house, I wondered about its occupants. I wondered about the desperation that seemed to emanate from that home. I wondered what it would be like to live in fairly obvious poverty, where you are not even able to fix a window, but instead had to make do by shoving towels in drafty places to keep the (Arizona) winter out.

But yet, as I looked closer I noticed that a strand of Christmas lights had been put around the door.

Even though the house is terribly run down, someone still cares. It may look like a house in shambles, but it is someone's home. Just like the rest of us getting ready for Christmas, these home owners decorated too! They, too, are getting ready for a holy time of year and took the time and effort to express that, despite their hardships.

Seeing this small strand of lights around a broken and dented door really touched me. This home and its simple strand of lights summed up the Spirit of the season perfectly for me. Amid the despair was hope, and when the night comes - a little beauty, despite the home's day-time imperfections.