When the oldest kids were little we halfheartedly pretended about him. It has always been very casual - but we did enter into the Santa game.
When Joshua joined our family he was terrified of Santa. He was certain that Santa was going to sneak into our house, toss Joshua into his bag of garbage, and take him away forever.
That statement ended Santa in our home.
We quickly told Joshua in no uncertain terms that Santa is PRETEND!!!!
Telling a three year old, in America, that Santa is a farce started a whole new dilemma. It has been very interesting trying to keep a very little boy from telling all his friends and cousins that Santa is pretend. He has really struggled. In Joshua's very black and white world of thought," everyone" spends the month of December lying! He can NOT understand why parents lie to their kids. If lying is wrong, how can the Santa game even be fun?
Sigh.
We have family members who really love their elf on the shelf. Every time they are over during the holidays we give Joshua the lecture. . . "please do not talk to your cousins about Santa." So far, though he thinks it is really bad of us to ask him to lie, he has kept the truth to himself. (I am not shaming my elf on a shelf friends here. I know many, many people have a lot of fun with it. It's just not for us.)
It might sound funny here - but it is truly a dilemma in our home!
So. . . along come Mataya and Wyatt. The oldest kids, Chad, and I have visited long about Santa. You see at this point we know it is easier, in many ways, to just cave to the culture and play up Santa. However, Joshua's viewpoint makes my heart hurt. Why would I lie to my kids?
Additionally, I began to wonder why has this become such a dilemma? Why do I even care? "Lord, do you have a lesson for me in all this?" has been one of my prayers this last month.
This week, He answered me.
I saw the word "naughty" and all of the sudden it hit me. . . the REAL problem with Santa.
You see in so many homes the focus of the Advent season is on Santa coming, rather than Jesus. That is wrong, of course; but what may be even more troubling is the message of Santa. Santa brings gifts for the "good" children. Kids are told that they better be good because "the elves" are watching and Santa will not bring them gifts if they are naughty. Kids live in fear that if they are not good enough, they will not receive.
BUT the TRUE reason we celebrate Christmas is that JESUS came as a gift FOR the NAUGHTY. Jesus was born because "we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. We will never, ever be good enough to deserve Him. Never ever. And yet we do NOT need to live in fear. For "it is by grace that we have been saved through faith" Ephesians 2:8.
I am not sure why, but the clarity the Lord whispered in to my heart has set my heart free.
So - in our home we will not boycott Santa. I have many Santa ornaments and figurines. I do not plan to get rid of them. But the legend that Santa lives in the North Pole, has elves, a sleigh, and magic reindeer that help him deliver toys to good girls and boys, will never be told. (I know it can not be avoided, and I don't want to avoid it. Joshua certainly knows the legend of Santa, just like he knows about Smurfs and Minions. There is a difference between knowing about something and believing it to be truth.)
In our home, our focus will be on Jesus. Our focus will be on the One who came for the naughty.
In our home, Santa will bow to Jesus. And it is my prayer that all of our children and grandchildren will live a life bowed to Jesus as well.
(Our explanation of Santa will remain the same as it has been for the last five years. There once was a man named Saint Nicholas. He lived a long, long time ago. He was an amazing missionary who chose to give to poor people. Legend has it that he sometimes left gifts in socks, which were hung by the the fireplace to dry overnight. Although many people have turned his memory into a whole lot of silliness, the sacrificial heart of Saint Nicholas is worth celebrating. So, we too leave gifts in stockings as a remembrance that giving gifts is good. We also make sure to give gifts to people living in poverty, not only at Christmas, but all throughout the year.)
