The secret of Santa

I remember believing in Santa as a kid. Filled with wonder at how he knew exactly what I wanted. Amazed how he managed to bring me presents even though we didn't have a fireplace let alone a chimney. I don't remember how I found out that there was no Santa, not sure if it even really made an impression on me.

Through the years, I forgot all about the Santa fable and just focused on the gifts. You see, I am a gifts girl - love to give them and get them. That's what Christmas is all about, isn't it?

Once I had children, Santa reentered my life. We had to decide whether we were going to let the kids believe in Santa or just tell them the Christmas story (the REAL reason we celebrate). I'll be honest, it was a tough decision. I didn't want to lie to the kids, but then again, I didn't want to be the parent whose child was telling others that Santa wasn't real. So, we managed to weave Santa into the Christmas story. No, he wasn't at the birth of Christ, but his gift giving is to honor Christ's birth.

Except this year (2008). This year, while we are focusing on the birth of Christ, I have also learned that the spirit of Santa is still alive & well. It is giving to others - blessing them the way you have been blessed.

You may have read earlier blogs from me about our surprise Wii system and just yesterday our anonymous angel. THAT is what Christmas is all about!

God blesses each of us - whether we deserve it or not. In turn, we should bless someone else. 2000 years ago, God gave us a precious gift, His only Son. He came into this world just like you & I did - child birth. He could have come by a bolt of lightening, with a thousand horses and angels trumpeting His arrival. Instead, He humbled himself to human birth. And why? All because He loves us. We are to pass that blessing along to someone else - kind of like pay it forward.

Because of the blessings that we received this year, our family was able to bless others. We may not have given expensive toys or a large amount of cash, but we provided what we could. Knowing that we helped someone else only blesses us more.

May Christ continue to bless you and you pass that blessing along.

Many blessings,
Allison