The holiday season seemed to go by without too much thought into what the time of the year is all about. Halloween happened as usual. We only had 10 of the little trick or treaters! Of course, it was colder than usual. But, some kids toughed it out. Thanksgiving came and went with the usual round of football, friends, family and food. It was then that the holiday season had a different feel to it.

Even though we had temperatures in the single digits, it wasn't the cold that changed the Christmas spirit in Yakima. Every year, during the first week of December, we take our first drive around the Valley to see Christmas lights. We thought that the previous year was disappointing with the number of houses with no lights or decorations.

Our first drive of this December proved to be worse. We could only see a handful of houses, let alone streets that had any types of lights for the holiday season. What happened, Yakima?

For the homes that had no lights at all, I have to wonder. Is there no light for what this time of the year means? In many happy homes, there are more lights kept inside and very little is left to shine through. In homes where there is sadness, no lights are left on for the hope of better times.

For the past few years, I have noticed that there are fewer and fewer Christmas lights in the Valley. Are things so bad? Are times so difficult? Are the darkened houses this Christmas season a true sign of the times? I truly hope not. For when we give up on hope, our faith fades.

I, for one, will keep Christmas. While there has been very little Christmas weather, the songs and the traditions are still strong. Keeping Christmas for the sake of what it really means is well worth the extra effort. The electric bill is a little higher, the cost of the seasonal favorite (eggnog) edged up a little, and not every gift can be professionally wrapped. Hey, I tried and I have the paper cuts to prove it!

The bottom line is, when things are at their worst and times seem to be at their darkest, a simple light can bring on many good memories. So, a real or fake candle, a string of lights or a single votive scented candle, the littlest of lights can be the biggest of messages.

It is not enough to feel the spirit of Christmas, you have to let it shine through faith. Without it, the greatest gift would be received as an empty box. Let this Christmas be the last that is without lights. Because, lights are like faith, it's not just for the individual. Someone else wants to see the lights shine, too!

Luke 18:8 ~ Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find a flicker of faith on the earth?

* Randy Allen lives in Yakima.