Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired, but
content, into my easy chair. The kids were in bed, the gifts were
wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa.
As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn't help feeling
that something important was missing. It wasn't long before the tiny twinkling
tree lights lulled me to sleep. I don't know how long I slept, but
all of a sudden I knew that I wasn't alone. I opened my eyes, and you can
imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus, himself, standing next to my
Christmas tree. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just
as the poem described him, but he was not the "jolly old elf" of
Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed.
And there were tears in his eyes. "Santa, what's wrong?" I
asked, "Why are you crying?" "It's the children," Santa replied sadly.
"But Santa, the children love you," I said. "Oh, I know they love me, and
they love the gifts I bring them," Santa said, "but the children of today
seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It's not
their fault. It's just that the adults, many of them not having been taught
themselves, have forgotten to teach the children." "Teach them what?"
I asked. Santa's kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began
to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. "Teach
the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part
of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye.
Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas
which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent." Santa reached into his bag and pulled
out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. "Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green
is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its
unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its
needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind's thoughts
should turn heavenward as well." Santa reached into his bag again
and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree.
"The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior
for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise
on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always
fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him." "Red,"
said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas." "He pulled forth a red ornament
for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the
life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God's
greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his
blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color
red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift." Santa found a
silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. "Just as lost sheep
are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today
for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true
Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep." Santa placed a candle on the
mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the
room. "The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks
for the gift of God's son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children
to follow in Christ's footsteps...to go about doing good. Teach them
to let their light shine before people that all may see it and glorify
God. This is what's symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree
like hundreds of bright shining lights, each of them representing one of
God's precious children's light shining for all to see." Again Santa reached
into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped
cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. "The
candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White
to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to
symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the church, and the firmness
of God's promises. The candy cane form's a "J" to represent the precious
name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd's
crook, which He uses to reach down into all ditches of the world to lift
out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original
candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging
Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents
the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.
Teach these things to the children." Santa brought out a beautiful
wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. "The
bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies
all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts
to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned
needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards
all and its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice. Even its very shape
is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a
circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children." I asked,
"But where does that leave you Santa?" The tears gone now from his
eyes, a smile broke over Santa's face. "Why bless you, my dear," he laughed,
"I'm only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the
joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things,
there is no danger that I'll ever be forgotten." "I think I'm beginning
to understand." "That's why I came," said Santa. "You're an adult. If you
don't teach the children these things, then who will?"
Author Unknown
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