Mommy Blog

I Believe

in Giggles on December 23, 2020

It’s the night before the Night Before Christmas.

Are you ready?

Do you have gifts wrapped and under the tree?

Is the menu planned for Christmas dinner?

Are your stockings hung by the chimney with care?

Are you hoping that St. Nicholas will soon make a stop at your house?

Or…has 2020 so wrecked and warped your spirits and sense of decency that you would willingly, knowingly, PURPOSELY and MALICIOUSLY  rip the magic and wonder of Christmas right out of the grasp of a child’s hand?

I’m asking for a friend.

Quick show of hands: When you were a kid, did you believe in Santa Claus? Did you want to believe in Santa?

Santa Claus is more than a man with a bag.

He represents the innocence of a childlike faith…the wonder and belief in something we cannot see, yet we know in our hearts to be true…he represents the goodness and purity of childhood-that is untainted by the worries of adulthood.

He is jolly and kind, and therefore shares some of his jolliness and kindness with others.

I believed wholeheartedly in Santa Claus growing up…in fact, I still believe in Santa Claus.

Jeff and I raised our kids on the belief of Santa, the North Pole and all the magic that entails. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, then you are familiar with my spunk and my spirit; imagine both of those aspects of my personality coming into a full and glorious demonstration during a caroling expedition one Christmas season with our church, as one tweenager told my kids that there was NO SANTA CLAUS.

My kids were six, seven, and eight years old.

Needless to say, I’m fairly certain Jesus Himself came down from heaven to wrestle me safely away from the child in question AND HIS PARENTS before I completely removed them all from the earth.

My kids were thoroughly confused.

Why would this “Big Kid” say there was no Santa Claus?

Well, for starters, he’s on The Naughty List for LIFE…so, there’s that.

Secondly, not everyone has room in their heart for Santa.

Over the years, I’ve caught a bunch of flack for using words that could confuse the magic of Christmas with faith in Jesus.  I know I just switched gears…stay with me for a second, and I promise I’ll make my point.

While, I do firmly believe that children hold the spirit of Christmas in their hearts, they also hold the keys to heaven.  Every good and perfect gift comes from God the Father…that includes all the gifts of Christmas…the Baby in the manger…and the Man with the Bag.

Allowing children the opportunity to believe in Santa, opens their eyes and their hearts for those bigger conversations that will impact their lives for an eternity.  The belief and the gift of Santa is a placeholder…he’s something tangible for the here and the now for a child to hold on to…to touch and to feel.

My children used to ask me if Santa believes in Jesus.  My answer was and is: YES.  It’s obvious by his whole person—top to bottom—the way he cares for all people, and even the way he dresses…the black of Santa’s mittens and boots reminds him (and us) of our sin, the red of his coat reminds him (and us) of the blood of Jesus that saved us from that sin, and the white fur around the edges reminds him (and us) that through Jesus’ blood, we are white as snow, and forgiven.

Now, with that said, did I ferociously guard and protect the Secret of Santa? You better believe it! The year that my kids were so horribly (mis)informed about the true identity of Santa Claus, he just happened to drop off a Wii U at our house…which anyone would tell you that Christmas was IMPOSSIBLE to find in ANY store.

The only logical explanation was that it came straight from the Workshop.

Okay, I told you all of that, to tell you this: last week a very dear friend of mine called me to tell me that one of her children had a run-in with an older kid who didn’t believe in Santa.  Folks, let me just say, I was ready to go to this kid’s house.  If Santa doesn’t stop at your house, perhaps you should reevaluate the choices and actions you made throughout the last year…and if he still doesn’t come to your house, so be it.  BUT, and I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT SPREAD YOUR SADNESS, ANGER, AND HATE TO OTHER KIDS. Teach your kids to keep their mouths SHUT.  YOU’VE GOT NO BUSINESS RUINING OTHER FAMILIES’ CHRISTMASES just because you do things in a different way.

But, like I said, I believe.

My kids believe.

And Santa still stops by our house every year.  I caught him last year.

Merry Christmas!!