We were seen with The Big Guy!!
Last Friday was our annual trek to Stonebriar to see the world’s greatest Santa. Real hair, real beard…he’s the Real Deal. And he takes his job seriously.
Last year, we brought notes to Santa, but he told us to take them home and leave them out for him on Christmas Eve. Though a little disappointed, we did what he asked and left out the cookies and milk. Santa did write us back and managed to bring everything we wanted. Because of that experience, we didn’t bring letters to Santa this year. But other children did, we noticed, and I happened to see some examples in his big bag next to him: pictures carefully cut out of catalogs and glued to paper, hand-drawn illustrations with mom interpretations, entire advertising circulars with items circled in colorful marker. And I had one of those “moments.”
No, not one of those moments when I get all sentimental about the innocence of childhood and the sincerity of a childlike faith – though I did have that, too.
What I’m referring to is one of those God-moments when He uses something very ordinary to reveal something extraordinary about His character. You see, these children came to Santa with very definite desires, requests that they felt absolutely passionate about. And they came to him in full assurance of their faith, believing with all their heart that if they could count on someone to give them what they wanted, it would have to be Santa.
Now, I’m not reducing God to the level of cosmic Santa Claus. But I do think He was prodding me to understand how often I limit Him with my lack of faith. I come to Him in prayer with conditions. With “escape clauses”. With parameters. With doubt. I ask – presumably in faith – but do I really believe He can do it? Do I really leave the door wide open for God to move in amazing and indescribable ways? Or do I hedge Him in, placing His infiniteness inside the confines of my finite understanding? Oh, that I might come to Him with my wish list – boldly, but humbly, too – in full assurance of faith…holding unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who called us is faithful. (Heb. 10:22)
And what was Santa’s response to these precious requests? His comment to me was, “It’s the best part of this job.” With a twinkle in his eye, and a wide smile on his face, you could tell he relished the opportunity to connect with these children…to give them a sense of hope, to renew their sense of wonder, and to help them know that they are loved and valued.
It hit me…how much more does our Heavenly Father – who knows us and made us – relish the opportunity to do the same for us… for me. How much more pleasure would He receive at the opportunity to remind me once again how special I am to Him? How much He loves me? How much hope I have through His promises?
You know, I doubt the Stonebriar Santa has any idea how profound an impact that little 3-minute encounter had on my life, or my understanding of my God. But God specializes in bringing the extraordinary out of the ordinary. A mall Santa! Who knew?