Does He Exist?

Legendary figures have a hard time around our house.  Santa has to borrow our wrapping paper to wrap presents for our kids.  He also does not have elves equipped to make electronic toys, so a Nintendo DS is out of the question. 

The tooth fairy is a late riser.  In fact, she sometimes wakes up after the child who has lost his or her tooth, and has to sneak in the dark hours of early morning while the child is busy in the restroom. 

The Easter bunny doesn’t even come to our house, but goes all the way to my parents house to hide eggs for Easter.  The Great Pumpkin, Cupid, Father Time… my children don’t even know they exist. 

What would childhood be like without all our fun friends?  What would it be like without staying up late on Christmas eve to try to hear reindeer on the roof, or trying to figure out why Santa’s handwriting on the thank you note for the cookies is so similar to Dad’s?  What would it be like to not believe that your teeth were really worth money to some winged collector?  What would it be like to not imagine the devious plottings of a giant bunny who knows more hiding places in your backyard than you do?

Sometimes I miss the freedom, wonder, and imagination of childhood.  I miss living in a world where anything is possible, where toys talk, where reindeer fly, and wishes come true.  I miss the stories and the play where the possibilities are endless. 

So, I’ve grown up, and realize that some characters are fictional, or at the very least, alive in the hearts of children.  I know there are limitations to what I can physically accomplish, and that sometimes a wish remains a wish.

Grown or not, I still believe in love, in giving, and in miracles.  That is the real spirit of Christmas.  Because over 2000 years ago, God gave us the miracle of His son in a tiny human package, out of love for His people, a desire for a relationship with them, and redeem them as His own. 

I have my own Christmas miracles I am praying for, and they can’t be wrapped in paper.  May God continue to richly bless His children this Christmas season.