A Higher Standard

When we were first married, I made a Halloween wreath to hang on our apartment door. I loved doing crafts and I must say, it was quite cute. My husband told me he didn't like it, didn't like Halloween, but I could hang it if I wanted to. I think I did hang it up, but threw it away later. I have to admit, though, I thought that he was a little crazy. Who cared that it's "origins" were evil? That's not what I was celebrating! It was all innocent. Just some costumes and candy. Puhleeze!

In my classroom, I always decorated for Halloween. Everyone did. I just made sure all the little ghosts, black cats, witches, and pumpkins were cute and smily. Halloween was for kids and it was for fun. What was the harm? It's not like we were worshipping Satan. (These were my thoughts.)

So, I started my daughters on the path when they weren't even old enough to hold up their heads. Oh, we never made a big deal mind you. A cute little orange outfit that said "Mom's Lil' Pumpkin," or a cute little chicken costume. Not a jack-o-lantern to put the candy in, but a cute little Tigger head instead. Much nicer. Nothing scary. It's for fun, right? Look! Candy, games, a carnival at a church. This is all just great. NO one in their right mind would go trick-or-treating these days, right? We'll just trick or treat at grandma's house. And a few people from church. Just so they can wear their little costume a while.

I had really never heard of people who didn't celebrate Halloween at all. However, most Christians that I knew felt there was need of an "alternative." Why? Why do we need an alternative if there is nothing wrong with the real thing?

Now this post was really not meant to be about Halloween. I'm just using that as an example. I never gave it much thought. Everyone did it, and so did I. I never gave a lot of things much thought when I was getting married and starting a family. I could say, "well, we didn't have any good examples around us to show us any different!"

But we did own Bibles at that time. And I'm fairly certain I could have prayed for wisdom.............it just never occured to me to do so.

This is just an example of how radical I have been willing to become for the Lord lately. Letting go of Halloween? OK. I'll do it. I want our family to be different. I don't want to do the things the world (or even other Christians) do just because....I don't know why. I want to be a godly wife, mother, and woman. I want to raise godly children. I'm not talking about becoming an "anti" everything person, either. I'm just saying I'm willing to re-look at everything we do and find out what pleases the Lord. How I envy young mothers who have thought these things out ahead of time!!! It's much easier than switching gears part-way in.