Once a
year, every year, millions of people all over the world gather together to
celebrate a particular day. It is a day that is filled with grotesque images of
disfigurement, gore, vile, filth, it is a day that is looked down upon by our
Heavenly Father. He truly HATES this day. Many people feel like it may “just”
be for the reasons mentioned above, but it is much more than that. It is a day
dedicated to Satan and his earth bound minions. It is a day that Bible
believers should have NO BUSINESS celebrating. Would you believe that I too
used to celebrate this day? Here is my story…
In my
youth, my Mom, a Bible believing, church going, Christian woman was not a fan
of “dark things.” She was not a fan of scary movies or things of this nature
yet one day when I was about 6 years old, all the kids in my first grade classroom
came to school dressed up in costumes. I observed how fun it was to dress up. Then
they all spoke of going out that night with their parents and getting candy.
What kid doesn’t love to get FREE candy? So I came home very excited to go “trick
or treating” with my Mom. I was confronted with a “no” from my step-dad. I was
upset and went to my Mom in secret and asked her to please take me. I
complained and fussed and she finally gave in and dressed me (I don’t even remember
what I wore) and gave me a sack. We then snuck out the BACK door and she took
me around the block collecting candy. I remember standing in the shadows next
to the house thinking “this is so wrong to have to sneak around to do this.”
Well I honestly don’t even remember what happened to my candy when we got back.
I have a feeling my Mom probably just threw it out after giving me a handful, I
really don’t know. I did not ask the following year, or the year after that. I
didn’t like that sneakiness and did not care to participate again. It was not a
big deal to me really.
My step
dad passed away when I was 11 years old so my teenage years I was more free to
do things like trick or treating if I desired it. I can remember that I really
did not care for it still. I remember one day we went to visit my cousins in
the Valley and while we were there the older kids from their church had a
Halloween party at one of their friend’s homes. We didn’t go but we saw pictures
later of the costumes and such. People were dressed like Boy George and
Madonna. I seem to remember being somewhat surprised that this group from “church”
would be having such a party, but I dismissed it, I did see that perhaps it
wasn’t a big deal since the “church group” was participating. My husband and I
married at 18, just shy of our 19th birthdays. We were living in
England for the first 3 years of our married life. We were invited to many
gatherings, and of course we were invited to some Halloween parties. We
thought, “we are adults, sure why not,” so we went. I had (I’ve now thrown them
away) pictures of us each year we went. The first year I dressed in a cloak and
I made my face pasty white and had blood dripping from the corners of my mouth.
Just prior to throwing them out, just looking at those pictures made me feel
ill. The next year I wore a more provocative outfit. I would have never worn it
anywhere else for any other reason. Due to the fact that it was Halloween and
we were “dressing up” my husband, who is normally very concerned about my dress…
let it “slide.” I remember feeling very uncomfortable at the party in my
fishnet tights and short shorts when I noticed all the men staring at me. Of
course, why shouldn’t they, they didn’t see my costume as simply a fun dress
up. The year after, we did not attend
any Halloween parties and we were no worse because of it.
During
the time we were living in England, God began working on my heart. He showed me
that my soul actually rejected things of darkness. I used to love the movie “Interview
with a Vampire” but I now found that I despised it. I used to love watching
ghost stories, and I now found that I spurned it. God was changing my outlook
on these things and He now had my attention and was turning my foot away from
them. So out the door with these items of darkness went my personal interest to
have anything to do with Halloween.
The last
time I participated in Halloween was at a friend’s Birthday party. Her birthday
was on the 31st of October, so by default they always had a
Halloween themed party. She was my neighbor so I went, and I “dressed up.” That
was the final time. I realized I really didn’t need to, I felt no better
because of it. I left the party regretting ever dressing up. I have not attended any type of party since
that day.
Today I
am a mother with a 12 year old child. In her youth I would plan my shopping
trips in October when my husband was home so I could leave her with him and
avoid the ugly masks and such in the store. On the night of Halloween we turn
off the outside lights and would sit in the inner rooms of our home and watch
Bible themed movies and play fun games to forget about the evil going on
outside. To this day, my daughter does not have a fancy toward Halloween. She
doesn’t miss it and neither do I!
Each of
us has our own personal choices to make in life, many think “it’s all in fun”
or “that’s not what it means to me. I feel that I am personally responsible for
the decisions I make, it is between myself and God. I strive to live a life
that is pleasing to God. I define everything in two categories: Light (Kingdom
of God) and Dark (of Satan). With this simplistic outlook I can clearly
categorize Halloween, without even watching all the videos and evidence of it’s
occult origin, I can categorize it in the “Dark.” I choose Light, and I pray that you would
consider my words and do the same.
~Shalom
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the
LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other
side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as
for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
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