I was at that fragile age where there were two camps when it came to Christmas. Those that believed in Santa, and those that did not. There were some unpredictable things going on in my life so I was hung on to the believer’s camp with desperation. The magic of Christmas Eve where fear and amped-up anticipation were a rush and I wanted to hold onto it forever. As a child I didn’t know the joy of the season wasn’t about the red suit and reindeer so my goal was to keep hope in his existence alive.
Our class had a reporter from the local paper visit and she had a hard hitting investigation in the works that required our input. When she approached me she didn’t waste any time. “Do you think Santa is real?” I didn’t look to my friends or care about their answers. I replied with confidence that he absolutely was real. She scribbled in her notebook and followed up with, “How does he reach all the homes in one evening?” I don’t remember my exact words, but with my imagination, I’m sure I had Santa time travel all figured out. Her last question was the one where I hesitated because she caught me off guard. She was going to get to the bottom of this mystery and my answers were crucial.
“If a home doesn’t have a chimney, how does Santa get in?”
As I pondered I suddenly remembered the answer my dad gave me when I had asked if Santa was real. I smiled at the reporter and shared the wisdom. “He has a master key.”
It wasn’t long before my mom showed me the paper and the article. Although she didn’t give a definitive answer, she shared my quote about the master key. I was over the moon.
A few decades later I have to say my answer would be kind of the same, it’s the question I’d change. My quest isn’t proving that Santa is real, it’s telling others about Jesus. The joy of Christmas isn’t from watching out for a sleigh, it’s a rejoicing because heaven touched earth. Christ’s birth is the key. Without His birth, there wouldn’t be a Savior. He’s the access to eternal life. No need for chimneys or a ring full of keys.
It sounds cliché but it’s a truth so simple we often miss it. Jesus is the reason for the season.
Merry CHRISTmas!
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Julie Arduini is an author with a passion to encourage readers to find freedom through surrender. Her first Adirondack contemporary romance, Entrusted, gives readers hope to surrender fear. A Walk Through the Valley will soon be available as an infertility devotional with 5 other authors. She blogs every other Wednesday at Christians Read and is a frequent contributor to Jasmine’s Place. To learn more about her writing and love of chocolate, visit http://juliearduini.com. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children.
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