Michael Myers really frightened me on Halloween night.
If you aren’t a scary movie fan, Michael Myers was a terrible, awful character from the 1978 horror movie Halloween. He is not real. I know he is not real. But his mask and dark blue coveralls give me chills. Still.
At our church’s Trunk or Treat, we were an hour in, talking with children and their adults, shelling out candy like crazy. Suddenly, I saw someone in a Michael Myers mask and coveralls. It was an incredibly good mask. He was accompanied by a tall, eerie clown. Neither spoke, which added to the creep factor. I watched from a safe place across the way. They were also being closely watched by our security team.
Unfortunately, Michael homed in on me. He marched straight to our trunk. I backed up quickly. Nervously giggling, I muttered something like, “You go on, now.” Thankfully he did. He walked to the exit. Shew. I was relieved.
But then, he stopped and slowly turned back around. He saw me watching and stomped quickly to my car. He stood too close. “I’ve got to go,” I told him and tried to run away.
He grunted something to me. “What?” I nearly shrieked. He repeated what he had said. It was his name. Oh. My. Word. He comes to the 11 o’clock service and sits in the balcony. The clown was his teenage son.
A few minutes later, a handful of my Sunday School girls came over laughing. They know I am creeped out by Michael Myers. I hadn’t realized they had been watching the whole scene. Had seen me trying to get away from the guy in the mask. I did not apologize for being creeped out.
Forgetting Halloween, as followers of Christ, people are always watching. How we handle ourselves can leave an impression – good or bad.
Are we examples of faith in the Lord? Do we stand firmly on the truths of His Word, knowing He is in complete control? Or do we worry constantly and endlessly, wringing our hands or making ourselves sick?
Many years ago, when I was a teenager, my family was going through the worst of times. Leaving an abusive marriage, my mother with six kids in tow, went into hiding. We were unsure how long it would last. My mom was surviving, not intending to be an inspiration. But what she did during those months of crisis is still vivid in my heart and mind. She didn’t cry, wring her hands or take to her bed. She stood firmly on God’s Word speaking one Bible verse after another that encouraged, directed, and spoke peace to her weary soul. That trickled down to her children.
Though decades have passed, her example continues to inspire me.
In 2024, because people are watching, how we handle ourselves matters. As election results are still being absorbed, followers of Christ should be exhibiting fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) no matter our candidate or party affiliation. We can be kind and compassionate (Ephesians 4:32) along with quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). Let’s act like we know God is in charge, He is our rock, and we have sense.
No giant is too tall, no sea too great, no problem too big for God to help us through, over or around. Even when we are afraid.