GOD and Santa...hmmmm!

I grew up with tales of Santa Claus - his wonderful workshop at the North Pole, his allseeing eye (remember the song? He sees you when you're sleeping/ knows when you're awake/ knows when you've been bad or good/ so be good, for goodness sake!), and his loving heart towards those who were good.

Bad kids he loved, too - but THEY got a lump of coal in their stockings!
No toys for them, nosirree!

I used to DREAM of going to the North Pole, meeting Santa CLaus, playing with elves, and learning to make toys, myself!

I was good for a LONG TIME just to please Santa...then came the fateful day when I was told "Santa isn’t really real, honey - he's just a story told to little children!"

"You're grown up, now - you can't believe in Santa anymore!"

"Santa is for little kids!"

I was confused, hurt, and yes, even offended!
My parents had lied to me! Pulled my little chain for years, all the time telling me lying is BAD!

How could I believe anything ELSE they ever told me?
How could I ever trust them again?

Remember how HURT you were, how confused and embarrassed when YOU were told about Santa not being real?
I was mad!

When I got older, however, I began to read the Bible.

I read a description of the Ancient of Days:
Daniel 7:9
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool..."

That sounded to me like Santa!
He had white, flowing hair, too!

But what about the allseeing part?
Luke 12:2
"For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."

Sounds allseeing to me!

What about the Good boy/Bad boy list?
Luke 12:7-9
"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Also I (JESUS) say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me (JESUS) before men shall be denied before the angels of God."

Whoa! That's a LOT worse than getting coal in your stocking1

I began to realize that the Santa story was just a ploy by the enemy...it had disguised a GREATER truth... Santa had taken the place of the Ancient of Days, who sent His Son Jesus to die for us!

And presents?
JESUS is the best present I've ever received...a gift that keeps giving, and giving, and giving...

John 4:14
" Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. "

Now THAT'S a present I can really appreciate!
Everlasting life!

I still enjoy Christmas, and Santa...just in a different way!

I hope that you, too, will get over your hurt at being deceived - and replace it with a NEW tradition...Jesus at CHRISTmastime!

Remember - leave me a note !