Well it‘s almost here, the day and night before Christmas, are you ready? Well ready or not Santa Claus is coming to town, so...
"You better watch out, you better not cry! Better not pout, I'm telling you why- Santa Claus is coming to town! He's making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty and nice, Santa Claus is coming to town! He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake! He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! OH! You better watch out, you better not cry. Better not pout, I'm telling you why- Santa Claus is coming to town!"
I’m sure all of you remember this song. As I write it out today and really think about what it says, I’m finding this Santa fellow to be pretty, well, pretty freaky! I mean, I need to watch out, not pout, and don’t cry- all because Santa Claus is coming to town. Who is this guy? Well lets check him out. It seems as though in some way, shape, or form Santa has been around forever, though Santa as we know him didn’t develop until the mid to latter 19th century. Santa Claus is said to have evolved from two religious figures: St. Nicholas and Christkindlein, the Christ child (Maybe that’s why he has special powers?). Anyway, this is what my research yielded. But I didn’t need any of these facts to believe in him when I was a child. As a child, Santa held promise. He was the man with the goods. And I wanted them! So yeah, I was rather inclined to behave and watch out, not cry, nor pout. Well, at least for the week leading up to Christmas.
Why? Because Santa Claus was coming to town, and he knew things! Like if I was asleep, or if I was awake, rumor had it that he was also privy to such information as to whether I was good or bad, so I tried to be good…for goodness sake. Now I must say that any one else who I didn’t know, who knew this much about me, well lets just say it would be problematic...but this was Santa Claus, and he was a coming to town with the goods, if I was good. Oh yeah, Santa Claus was coming to town with all the things on my Christmas list. The Close and Play, the Chatty Cathy, the Etch-a-Sketch, and Barbie. As I grew older, the all knowing Santa brought me clothes, and shoes that always fit. I guess that’s why he was watching me, so he could get my size right. He is truly amazing, this Santa guy. For all this he would do for some cookies and some milk.
Christmas used to be a lot more affordable, that’s for sure. Those were the Christmases of my youth. Full of magic and miracles. But miracles are not reserved for the young, nor specific to a season. And the miracle of Christmas was never really about Santa Claus or the stuff that he would bring. It was about believing in a babe born in a manger and the work he came to do, the world he came to save. So often we pray for miracles, but what if the miracle has already been done? It is said that miracles can sometimes happen when they are least expected. But I believe that miracles happen. Period!
For you see, this is what I know so far; Not unlike anything else in life, miracles can be cultivated. A miracle could be as simple as a shift in perception. So if there is any area in your life where you are not perceiving clearly, I encourage you to stop shouting about how bad things are! Cease your pouting and by all means dry your weeping eyes, for things are only what we think they are. Oh, and because Santa Claus is coming to town. Merry Christmas everyone, SEE you next year!!!
