Trick-or-Treating...in Style...Country Style

Love Comes Round

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

Lights shine up driveway in the darkness of early evening. Out piles one, two, three, four, and five to six trick-or-treaters to the tune of who can get to the door first. Politely, they wait as the bell echoes within.

Soon, friendly faces appear at door as porch light reflects smiles that greet. “Come in!” And so we do.

One, two, three, four, and five to six make their way round kitchen table. As this is country, it doesn’t take long before goodie bags fill with goodies. “Take two. Here’s another!” Little eyes widen with each drop in the bucket filling to full. Masks can’t mask emotions as eyes follow the trail straight down into the bag with mouths gaping.

Next up…another farm house where the night of candy gathering becomes ministry. The older await the younger to fill them up plum full, and who is filling whom isn’t all that clear. Dear it is as the young depend upon the old, and the old depend upon the young to fill.

One, two, three, and four to five pile out creating the scene once again. Where’s six? Back into the van I ran. Behind the first row of seats he is not. Behind the second row he is…shoving chocolate wild and free. Face giving way to guilty verdict does not slow this one down one bit. Disobedience is not a hammer of judgment to utilize tonight.

“There’s more inside!” was all that need be whispered. And off he scoots. Win/win.

Plum grown up now as the years did pass. Farm houses emptied…ghostly mostly. Until, a few years back…some came back. Those who had grown drew a liking to that which was, and the little empty farm houses became full once again. Little ones grew and as they did, the lights shine up driveway in the darkness of early evening.

Out piles one to two trick-or-treaters and soon the porch light reflects smiles that greet. “Come in!” Little eyes widen as goodie bags fill to full. “Here’s another,” we offer. Soon, it isn’t all that clear as to who is filling whom.

Ecclesiastes 3: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven.”

A time to gather chocolate, a time to give it away…a time to be greeted, and a time to greet… a time to receive mercy, and a time to give it…a time to ring the doorbell, and a time to answer it …moments from which to draw strength, and moments to give it…a time for every purpose under heaven

To rewrite Ecclesiastes would not be my first desire; to see it lived out sacred would be. Discernment resonates…to see things how You see them and not how we perceive them to be. And Lord, thank You for a glimpse of the sacred lived.  Amen.