It’s Halloween and never has this funny little holiday caused me so much deep reflection. In order to explain, allow me to reflect back in time just a little. My husband and I got married early in October last year, and one of the first things we did together as a married couple was to host a trunk at our church’s annual Trunk-or-Treat. We went as Peanut Butter and Jelly (yes, we were aware of how nauseating we were, but we didn’t care 😊).

We had a lot of fun that night, and when it was over, we were already looking forward to the next one. We got our costumes and began preparing back in July! It was a night that helped us transition from dating to married within our church family, and that was such a blessing.

Fast forward to early this morning, when I was trying to wake up and get myself on the road to work (I’m temporarily commuting a bit of a distance for work right now). I was more tired than I’ve been in a very long time, and my husband and I decided it was better for me to stay near work tonight and rest.

Though it was the right thing to do, I was doing so with a heavy heart. As I drove along, I grew more and more sad with each passing mile. I was traveling in the opposite direction from where I wanted to be, and I felt like a tattered t-shirt. As it so happens, my sister is working within walking distance of where I’m working right now. We carpool as much as we can, and when we can’t, we often talk by phone during the drive instead.

That was the case this morning. There I was in the midst of what felt like a deep heartache, and during our morning drive we learned circumstances had shifted and we were going to be able to have dinner together. When I shared that update with the hubby, he commented that God always knows how to provide what we need to endure. Consequently, while we were out and about, we found the cutest trick-or-treater ever in a coffee shop!

When I got back to my room, I spent time talking with my husband and hearing all about this year’s trunk-or-treat event. Since I couldn’t be there, my awesome niece and nephew stepped up and helped pass out candy. When I think about last year, I remember seeing so many faces filled with light and laughter. We have around 2,000 people come through our trunk line each year, and this is something our church family has been doing for the last twenty years.

When I look at this event… this seemingly innocuous and fluffy event…I see a much bigger impact. There are many things we do as a church family which we hope will serve to connect people with God and the gift of Christ. This event is something I see as a very special gift a church family gives to its community. It’s something we do for no other reason than to bless our neighbors, and hopefully shine light and the love of God into their day.

When we were kids, Halloween was very different. We had a kind of fun few kids today will likely ever get to experience. The darkness in the world has taken that away. But for this one night, we do our best to give kids a safe place to feel a little bit of that fun for themselves.

“And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatted steer together; And a little child will lead them.” ISAIAH‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭AMP‬‬

At the end of the day, what was initially a negative situation quickly became a gift and a blessing. If we take things in life at the face value of a worldly perspective, we risk losing the blessings that come unexpectedly and leave a trail of joy in their wake.