The older I have gotten, the more oppressed has become my spirit regarding Halloween, the annual celebration of death and evil. Because of the evil associated with Halloween, many of us who follow Christ choose not to participate.
But my wife and I consider every day, including October the thirty-first, to belong to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We concede no day to the adversary. We further believe that all of Satan’s works will backfire on him and ultimately work to the glory of God.
For the past three years my wife and I, along with our children and grand- children, have done something that has proven highly successful. We put a portable fire pit out on our driveway. Around the fire pit we place a few chairs. With our garage door open and our garage tastefully decorated with life affirming themes, we add the soft background ambiance of praise music. On our covered ping pong table, we have fruits, vegetables, and a sandwich quarter spread. We also have graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows for smores, along with pronged rods to roast the marshmallows over the fire. We serve varieties of hot tea, hot chocolate, and coffee.
The idea is to attract people and get them to stay and chat for a while. It’s a cold night. The fire is warm and friendly. So are the drinks. Overly sugared adults come by with their children, grateful for something more substantial to offset their sugaredness.
We’re not too aggressive with the gospel. We try to admire some of the costumes that aren’t too ghoulish and engage in friendly conversation. We have candy to put in the kids’ bags, along with age appropriate gospel tracts. Many of the “kids” who show up are teenagers. We have teen and adult literature for those who are interested.
The word has gotten around. More people have flocked to our home each year and stayed awhile. Many call it the best stop of the night.
October thirty-first, like every other day of the year, belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also the one night of the year that the world comes to us. Why not take full advantage of the opportunity? You’re also less likely to get your home vandalized, as you’re out there “standing guard.”
That’s what we do. If any of you have suggestions on how we can do it better, please do so in the comments section. Or maybe you do something different you’ve also found to be effective. Please tell us about it. May God use us all for His glory this October thirty-first.
