I feel like such a hypocrite!
Last night I was dreading the Fiesta at our church. Why dread? Because I feel like it is celebrating Halloween though it is under the hope to reach the unchurched, the unbelievers, etc … But in my heart, it just feels like an excuse for the Christians to have a place for their kids to go play games and get candy. (Still celebrating Halloween.)
Don’t get me wrong, I think wearing costumes and pretending is a LOT of fun! Our daughter has her share of costumes! It is the whole wicked side that I despise and just like my last post — I believe we should avoid even the appearance of evil. And it never fails — even at church there are people dressed as witches and kids as vampires. Where is the Church? Seriously. Shouldn’t we look different than the world?
Wondering where the hypocrite part comes into play?
Well … at my daughter’s swim class I was whining about having to take my child out last night when a friend said, “Well she can come with my daughter!” Hmmm, a chance for me and hubby to be in a warm house and not out in a very LOUD parking lot in the cold (seriously, the music hurt my ears last year)? Sounded great to me.
We had an hour to get home from swim practice, do homework, get dressed and head back to her friend’s house. It was THEN that I realized what I had done! I wanted to change my decision, but I felt it was too late. I was sending my daughter over to celebrate Halloween! What in the heck was I thinking?!?!?!? I wasn’t thinking! That was the problem. It all happened so quickly.
I hated myself for it — all because I didn’t want to mess with a noisy cold night. My selfishness had placed my beautiful daughter into the hands of a family I love — who are Christians — but still celebrate Halloween.
Here is my daughter ringing her friend’s doorbell. She looked like a beautiful princess and honestly, she is a beautiful princess in the Kingdom of God. She is a daughter of the King and she had absolutely NO business being out t
here with those who were dressed evil.
I repented to God and to her for letting her go. She said that her friend told her every time there was something scary and she hid her face. I am so thankful that no scary images entered through her eyes to her mind.
I am still kicking myself. Seriously, it didn’t even dawn on me what was about to happen until I dropped her off.
Next year, I think our little family will find something to do that night that doesn’t involve Halloween. She can play dress up anytime and she definitely has access to candy around here.
When my husband and I felt like she had been out of our sight long enough, we went back to this house to locate her. We were AMAZED at the number of children in the streets.
When I told my daughter I was so sorry I even let her participate in that, she said, “We won’t do this next year Mommy.” I agreed.
I know some of you are reading this and thinking I am way over the top. That’s OK. But I know that I have to follow the conviction I feel in my own heart for me and my family.
So as in many other areas of my life — last night I felt like the biggest hypocrite around. I deserved the title for sure because I don’t think there are many other people who despise Hallo-wicked-ween like I do.
I am thanking God for protecting my baby girl and keeping her innocent and pure.
Please don’t feel the need to defend your reasons for celebrating Halloween. I’m just putting my confession out here because I feel dirty for letting my baby girl participate. Blech.
Beth, Please forgive yourself because God has! I just want you to know that it was very encouraging to hear your confession. I totally agree with you. Halloween is not acknowledged at our house. It grieves me to see Christian families celebrating the holiday. It’s good to hear someone shares my convictions!!
I’ve had this struggle inside ever since my son was old enough to understand Halloween. I put my foot down this year and said no. He went to church dressed as himself, and had a wonderful time. The other children were not dressed up either. They played games, had candy, and bonded in their Christian beliefs. It was great!
Well, the good thing out of the whole thing is your daughter now agrees with your conviction. She could have come home from the night and said I can’t wait for next year! I’m with you as well, I just want to skip that date on the calendar every year. We are in a new community and a new church. The kids love my hubby (new pastor) and I know a lot of them rang our doorbell, we were tempted to hand out candy so as not to disappoint the little ones, but we held out and our house was dark last night. I’m so glad its over!!
I totally understand. When we were raising our girls, we turned off the lights in the house, lit candles and watched a movie, while eating doughnuts and drinking apple cider. And we still do!
I love her hair, so thick and curly and the her pink dress and all its poof!
I’m sorry you had to go through that!
I certainly have had moments where I made a decision and then looked at the ramifications of it and had to respond accordingly.
We almost never allowed our kids to stay overnight somewhere. It was rare. I just never thought that anything good would come out of a bunch of children staying overnight together, largely unsupervised as mom has to go to bed *sometime.* The conversation and actions would be unguarded, so as the kids got older we said no.
Once we said yes to a family we didn’t know. It was a child our son met at Awana camp and really connected with, and although we didn’t know the family, we had several friends who did and said they were a great family, loved the Lord, etc. So we said yes. I believe our son was 13 at the time, maybe 14.
Then, I realized I was sending my son to stay overnight with a family that I had never met, and was just taking someone’s word for it that they were good people.
So we just told him we were sorry but had changed our minds. But I have to tell you I freaked a little when I heard that the dad (a total stranger to me) was going to pick my son up ALL ALONE and drive him an hour back to their home.
My son would have been driving for over an hour alone in a car with a perfect stranger. 14 years old or not, ummmmm….no. Godly, wonderful, man or not, we didn’t know him and just couldn’t do it.