Halloween

Halloween has a rich tradition at the Oliver house. It started about 25 years ago when our then young family was fairly new to Cleveland County. Some friends from outside of the city limits asked if they could give out candy on our front porch due to the lack of trick or treaters in their area and the abundance of young uns in ours. Some other friends heard about the affair and, with hurt in their eyes, said, “Why weren’t we invited?” My quick response was, “No one is invited! Just show up!”
Since that first year we have had large crowds, small gatherings, and some cancellations. But someone always asks if we are having “the party no one is invited to?” My response? “If we are home and you are here!”
Halloween is not a scary and evil event for us (though there have been times when attendees have hidden in our flower beds and bushes in order to greet unsuspecting families). For the Oliver’s, it is a time to open the doors and practice good fellowship and hospitality with neighbors we never see, church families, old friends, new friends, strangers, princesses, superheroes, monsters, villains, etc.
My middle son, Aaron, called Sunday evening from Raleigh. He asked if the party was “on.” He wanted to drive down from Raleigh to be an “uninvited guest.” He called this morning to cancel his reservation. He was disappointed as he said he couldn’t make it because of a work priority. I wanted to tell him, “That’s okay. You weren’t invited anyway.” Instead, his equally disappointed father replied, “You will be missed.”
My point of all this?? Halloween is what you make of it. It can be a time of mischief and mayhem and evil or a time of fun and Christian fellowship and hospitality. We have chosen the latter.
Have a great evening!
Andy O. (704) 300-0062