Sunday, December 2, 2001
Sunday, December 2, 2001
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen.
Then the congenial Mr. Claus turned to Charlene and, with the obligatory twinkle in his
eye,
asked her what she wanted for Christmas. Without giving her brain time to engage,
Charlene
blurted out, "Santa, I'm having a hysterectomy next Wednesday, and I'd like swift
healing." For a
moment, Charlene was mortified at her own bluntness, but Santa looked deep into her
eyes and
said, "I'll pray for you, and so will Mrs. Claus."
Charlene, moved by his sincerity, started to cry. That was just what she needed to
hear. As she
turned to walk away, she remarked, "You know, you still come to my house in the
middle of the
night every year, even though my baby is twenty-five years old."
And Santa, with a warm smile, said, "I know."
What Charlene needed was a word of hope. She was fortunate to encounter a Santa
with a strong
Christian faith who could give her a word of assurance in her time of need. That is what
Christmas is all about.
(Hebrews 11:1
NRSV)
Charlene decided to get her picture made with Santa, to give as a humorous gift to her
husband
and two grown sons. One afternoon at a nearby mall, she came across an unoccupied
Santa and
asked him if she could sit next to him to have her picture made. He seemed pleased by
the idea,
so Charlene squeezed in next to him for her photo.
Loving God, thank you for the assurance you give to me through Jesus Christ. Amen.
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