So the family (just mine…Lovely, Little Bear, and myself) are celebrating Christmas but not Santa Claus. Why? A few reasons…First, it is a relationship built on a lie. Secondly, it fosters hope that is later dashed to pieces. Lastly and most importantly, I feel it takes the focus off of the whole point of Christmas. Sure, giving is one point of Christmas, but in my opinion it doesn’t promote what Christ came to accomplish.
So here is a story about an experience we had this weekend while shopping for Christmas presents.
We were shopping for Little Bear’s presents on Sunday afternoon after church. We went to a local Kmart (or as my grandma says, “Kmarx”) to grab the last of the gifts. During our trek through the store, Little Bear let us know that she had a “dirty butt” and since it was the weekend I was on diaper duty. We walk across the store sans buggy trying to locate the restrooms only hoping that there would be a baby changing table or some other surface other than a pissed on floor to change my precious little girl. We finally get to the snack shack. The men’s room had no changing table and the women’s room was Out of Order. I asked if I could zip in and change her really quick. The ladies behind the counter grinned and blurted, “Surely!! Just keep tha der opum.” A quick minute later we are walking back out and the ladies are admiring the sweet girl that is my daughter. One of the ladies, who probably went to high school with Fred Flintstone, asked the question, “So, is Santa comin’ ta yer hauwse?” I looked at Little Bear and just smiled and said, “No ma’am, Santa won’t be coming to our house.” The two old white ladies looked at each other, one looking like, “Poor thing, I bet they can’t afferd no Chrismas.” The other looked at me like, “I bet hEz one dem peeples dat don’t eat no perk and don’t belive in Jesus. You know…dem Juice peeples.”
I grinned. They tried not to make faces or act like I took them off guard, but it was too late. The younger of the two elder ladies commented, “well, you have a beautiful little girl. Merry Christmas…or…Happy Holidays, which ever you celebrate.”
Very diplomatic, I thought. I just replayed the whole conversation when I sat down with my grandparents while they were talking about the Holy Ghost, and asked them to explain what they thought the Holy Ghost was. They think I am not saved now. You can’t help it when people have never been challenged in what they believe. I was simply trying to get to the heart of what they believe. They turned it into, well, he must be going to a church that don’t teach Jesus and God and the Holy Ghost. Not true, by the way.
Back to the store…
The fact is that if they had seen our buggy, they would have known that we had Christmas presents. Sure we didn’t have a massive pile of gifts, but we have some for Little Bear and some family.
I just wanted to sit down with them and chat about Christmas and why we don’t celebrate Santa Claus.
Maybe some day I will go back and take that time. Until then.
NO NO NO on HO HO HO!!!
Prodigal Thinker 