I Believe

If you could ask Santa just one question, what would it be?

My four year old daughter only wanted to know this:  "When were you a baby?"

You see, when she thinks about Christmas, she thinks about Jesus.  She knows the story of his birth found in Luke 2.  God loves her so much that he sent his son into the world as a baby, to grow up and experience life like us, to be tempted and tried and ultimately to suffer and die for us.  A tiny baby.  Who grew up to be a king.  And a servant.  And the greatest hero that ever lived.

Now, tell me again, what did Santa do?  Well, he's fat and jolly and he travels around the world in a magic sleigh on Christmas Eve to give good boys and girls their gifts.

Better hope you're not on the naughty list!

In the weeks prior to Christmas, children across the country exhibit only their best behavior.  Why?  Because Santa sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake.  Guess what?  So does Jesus.  But thank God I don't have to worry about being on the naughty/nice list.   

How good do you have to be?  Ninety-five percent good?  Eighty?  Just fifty-one percent?  No one really knows.  We all go to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads, dreaming (praying) that we won't wake up with a bag of coal in our stockings.

Now, there's some creepy imagery.  When I think about coal, I think hot..., pit..., fire...and dare I say it, H-E-Double- Hockey- Sticks?  Yikes.

I love Christmas.  I love sharing Santa with my kids, but I never want them to confuse Santa with Jesus.

Santa knows about me.  But Jesus knows me.

Santa lives far, far away.  Jesus lives in me.

I can write letters to Santa, but I can talk to Jesus.  God responds to my inquiries through the book he wrote just for me.  Best of all, I can read it anytime I want.

Santa's gifts collect dust, clutter shelves, and crowd toy boxes.  Jesus gave me the most amazing gift I've ever received.  Not only did he give me life, he saved my life.

This holiday, when you say, "I believe", what are you proclaiming?  Faith in an old, fat guy who flies through the sky and delivers presents to the whole world by climbing down the chimneys of sleeping children?

Eventually, my young daughter will suspect that something is amiss here.  I will not hesitate to tell her the truth.  Right now, we're having fun pretending that Santa and his band of tiny elves visit us on Christmas Eve, but not without talking about Jesus' starring role in the whole affair.  

Now, who do you want to honor on Christmas day?

Remember, Christmas began with the birth of the baby.  James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."    This year, when you sit on Santa's lap, remember you've already received the perfect gift.

Straight Talk On A Curvy Road

One morning, a few weeks ago, Gavin and I hiked to a place called the House of Dreams.  It's a three mile hike to the top of the mountain.  All along the way, there are teasing signs that signify the top is close at hand.  We approached a small clearing.  Light poured through the trees.  As I treaded closer, I thought, "Oh, I'm there!"  But no, that clearing teased me.  We continued to circle the mountain.  A little while later, we crested a small hill, and a stone wall emerged.  Surely, this was the entrance to the House of Dreams.  And yet the top of the hill still eluded us.

Walking hand in hand,  we continued our journey.  I didn't mind the steady climb.  Gavin told me about some boys at camp who are "tapped out" for a special assignment called the The Little Chief Test.  The boys undergo a 24-hour challenge that includes a silence ban, building a fire with one match, and a run up this mountain, among other things.  They begin the test at midnight the night before and start the run covered in smut from their fires and exhausted from lack of sleep.  As we continued our walk, Gavin pointed out various landmarks.  He showed me where the various "legs" of the run began and also where many of the boys often give up.

As he was explaining this, we trampled over one last gravelly incline and there ahead of us stood the driveway to the House of Dreams.  Finally!  The house was modest, yet breathtaking because it's surrounded by lush grass, a lovely garden and a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.  As we crested the hill, my eyes drank in the beauty from the perspective of that secluded hilltop.  I could see for miles!  The clouds blanketed the horizon in billowy beauty.  We perched ourselves on a quaint old tree swing, basking in the breeze of a gorgeous fall day.  If only those boys had known that they were that close, I bet they wouldn't have given up!

I began to think back through the years--projects I began but never finished, friendships I pursued but didn't cultivate, and dreams I played out in my head, but never realized in life. I wonder how close I had been to the end?  I wonder what I missed because I gave up too soon.  I reflected on the obstacles and wondered if I made the right decisions.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says  Commit thy way unto the Lord and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

I have always loved that verse, but it took on new meaning for me that day.  How many times had I committed to a project or made plans to pursue something based on my own understanding of what lay ahead of me?  How many times had I become sidetracked, strayed off course,  or stumbled across a roadblock in my pursuit of success and happiness?  Like those boys, I couldn't see the future.  I felt tired.  My legs couldn't carry me to the top of the mountain.  I wasn't where I was supposed to be because I didn't ask God to show me the way.

The good news is that in the last three years, I have seen God answer my prayers by showing me clearly the way he wants me to go.  I've prayed, "God, show me my place here" and he has done it.  I've prayed, "Lord, give me friends who will help me be more like you" and he has done it.  As I have leaned in God's direction, he has made my paths straight.  When I look at him, I can see more clearly where to go.  The path isn't curvy, and I can begin by going confidently in the direction of his leading.  I'm not scared.  I don't worry about what I cannot see.  It's enough for me that God sees, and he is with me.