Prayer and family time

It was hard to decide what we would do for Halloween this year. We really prayed a lot about it and gave it a lot of thought. We had mixed feelings about it. I did not grow up celebrating Halloween because I was raised in Honduras. Matt did, but he is not big on it either. We really didn't plan anything....well, not until the last moment.

We were having dinner that evening and we were still talking about what the Lord would want us to do. Our church was doing a Fall Festival, but we did not feel like going. We did not want to take Rebekah trick or treating either, but we wanted the Lord to lead us. After a while of talking about what we felt in our hearts, we decided to make it a family fun time and also an opportunity to pray for each of the children that came to our door.

Our two conflicting thoughts were that Halloween is such a dark holiday, but as children of God living in this world, how could we bring glory to God. We knew that he would not shut the door of his house and turn all the lights off because He came for the sick and broken and dead...He desires that all come to know Him. He could have gone to a fall festival to gather with all the believers and have some good fun, but still he was so purposeful in all that He did that we didn't think that would be his choice. What we thought most represented Christ would be to be a light in the darkness. Matt said something that I believe was God's answer for us at that moment. He said, "What if all the believers at the fall festivals stayed home, lighted up their homes, and shared the love of Christ with their neighbors and all the different people that came to their doors. What if they stayed and prayed for each of those children and made it a day where the Lord is glorified through it." This is what we did and it was so neat! We have not felt the spirit of God so strong as we felt it that night. We were praying in the spirit for each of those children after they left and it was powerful. Rebekah also joined us as we prayed, but she mostly enjoyed the caramelized and candied apples. Matty carved her a happy face pumpkin and she just thought it was so neat :)

I am not saying that this is what everyone should do or that if you went to a fall festival or took your children trick or treating that you are a terrible Christian. But I believe that as you as a family seek the Lord in every decision, that He will lead you and give you the desires of His heart. We believe that this is what our Lord placed in our hearts to do. We are thankful that as we seek God for every decision with a desire to glorify Him, He is so faithful in answering even if it's at the last moment. We serve a beautiful God! We love you Lord!