Hallowe'en... derived from the words "Hallowed and Evening". So many conflicting emotions. Is it evil, is it the devil's holiday? I loved Hallowe'en as a child. There was so much excitement and fun involved. When I was little, playing outside in the dark was a deliscious treat in itself. We would go out in the back yard of my friend's house, and hide in the dark, and count to 100. We would count ...to 1@@ with our faces against the rough trunk of their old maple tree and then say, Here I come, ready or not!! We always found the ones hiding because their heavy breathing from running would give their locations away.
We would twirl around in circles and make ourselves so dizzy, our heads swimming until we fell down! There is nothing like giggling until your heads swim, is there? We ate too much candy, and I have to say, that still happens to me a lot! Now it's not 7-Up Bars and Chico-Sticks... it's probably Lindt chocolate truffles if I can justify buying them!
One year when we were about 12, we went and soaped some windows... not anything too bad, we didn't want to cause any real damange... we figured the recipeients of our pranks would understand that we just wented them to enjoy the spirit of fun ... or at least that's what I told myself.
The first or second year of highschool we knew we were getting too old to Trick or Treat. We were not even remotely true adults... we were 14 going on 10. We had one tall friend, he lookeed like a man from the chin down. But he had this sweet face that looked like a choir boy with the hint of a mustache wishing it could grow on his upper lip. We know he wouldn't pass for a Trick or Treat Worthy kid. But we thought he'd make a great "Big Brother".. I'm sure I was with Laura Lorenz or Alice LaChapelle and probaby Richard .... we all got sheets out of our linen closets... or maybe even stole them off our beds. I'm not sure my mom and dad knew that we'd appropriated those things. Since I buy my own sheets now, I am sorry, Mom and Dad about the holes I cut in the sheets... Guess it's kind of late..
We went to the houses there in the olld neighborhoods... up to the doors ...all excited and with our stomachs full of butterflies, or perhaps moths... What will they say when they see us, these poor unsuspecting neighbors... of course we moslty went to homes where we were unknown. All of us except the tall kid, Larry, kneeled down on the steps so we looked like little goblins... innocent voices that we made as childlike as possible called out "Trick or Treat!!!!!!!!" and we tried to hold our laughter until our bags were gifted with more and more treats ... Then when the poor unsuspecting victims had given out the sugary bounty, we all stood up and said, as politely as we could.. "Thank YOU!!! " and giggling we ran off down the sidewalk to the next house... That was one of the most shamefully fun memories I even enjoyed... LOL!
I hope you don't hate Hallowe'en.. I hope you can enjoy it, and make some great memories... I did. I didn't think of the devil, or evil. I thought of fun, and ways to make it special. I did think of how we had the responsibility to not harm or destroy anything that wasn't ours... or anyone. I hope that you can share the love and grace of Christ to each child and each adult that you find on your front porch or at the mall ( Yes, some of us like Malls) today, and that with His help you can turn what the devil may have purposed for evil into a day that God can use for HIS Glory!
God Bless you all today! Enjoy your Hallowed Eve!
