I think I’ve mentioned before that we live in an intentional community. Sometimes it seems weird to people how connected we are. I go to church with the guy who sells me groceries, the man who changes my oil, the lady who waits on me at the cafe, and every coworker in my office. It’s a nice kind of weird.

We also have some traditions unique to such a town. Like Garage Words at Christmas. In my previous home, I might have taken exception if the neighbors plastered magnetic letters on my garage door spelling out random words. I might have called the police.

But here such behavior is one of the highlights of the season. The ladies from the recovery center are in charge of posting the letters. Each word signifies some trait of Christ, and they appear sometime after Thanksgiving. We never know when to expect them. And, we never know which word we will get. That is part of the fun.

This year, we got “Healer.” You’d think the local doctor would get that every time.But sometimes “Healer” goes to a family facing major illness. Because these words are both a prophecy and a prayer.

Provider. Shield. Worship. Truth. Silent Night. The Great I Am. You can drive around our town and almost hear the angels shouting out those words in Heaven.

It’s a lovely type of graffiti.