Friday, December 12, 2008

To Santa or Not to Santa

We’ve started talking to Kate about the poverty in the world and she gets it in a child’s way. The other day she wanted to know what we could do for someone in particular. When I started to answer her question, she stopped and me and said, “But she’ll get gifts from Santa.”

Hmmm. What a conundrum. I want her to enjoy the Santa myth. Goodness knows it took several years and a few “expert opinions” to convince my husband to go along with it. At the same time, I want her to know the need is very real. I told her that, “Santa can’t do it by himself.” The need is too great.

Perhaps that’s a good reminder to us. God expects us to do His work here on earth. It's easy to live our sheltered little lives, allowing ourselves to believe that Santa/God will take care of everyone else. We are His instruments. Just like Santa needs our help, God expects us to do good here. I won’t say He needs us. He is the creator of the whole universe. I think He can handle things just fine, but He expects us to do it. He blesses us to let us do it.

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