Well, it sure has been a very long time since I last wrote. Forgive me, I can’t even begin to tell you the stress I’ve been under. And so busy… Anyway, it’s Christmas time again! Yea!
I asked my good friend Santy Claus to come to the store and say hello to the children. He said he would. So we scheduled a photo session with Santa. Then Old Saint Nick called me back and apologized. Mrs. Claus had reminded him that he had already booked a prior engagement. Well, as you can imagine, I wasn’t sure what to do. But kind Mr. Claus explained that sometimes he asks his friends for a little help at Christmas time. He asked if I would dress up in one of his old suits and pretend to be Santa instead. Well, I was put right on the spot, but I reluctantly agreed.
Can I just say that filling in for Santa has reaffirmed my faith in the Christmas Spirit? Seriously, it was so touching to see the smiles of the children. I asked them each what they would like for Christmas, and I didn’t receive one greedy answer. Not one! It was all so simple, like, “I want a dolly,” or, “I want Lincoln logs.”
One little boy wanted a new eye. He was playing with a nativity set and a piece shattered, scattering porcelain dust into his eye. He is now going blind. We took his picture with dark sunglasses on. His family has been fasting and praying for him.
When I asked a little girl what she wants for Christmas, she whispered in my ear, “I want my family to be happy.” I promised her I’d do every thing I can. I took a break shortly thereafter, found a quiet place in the back room, and prayed for her little family. I figure that not even Santa Claus can heal a family, but Christ sure can.
I remember when Santa came to our little ward party to help us remember Christ’s gifts to us. My boys were too sick to go, and they were so disappointed. The next day, Dear Old Santa Claus came to visit our little boys and held them on his knee. I’ll never forget his kindness.
God bless you, Santa Claus! I found out just a little bit what it’s like to wear your shoes. They are awfully big shoes to fill. God Bless all your helpers who keep the Spirit of Christmas every day.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Wow, Caleb. That's a really great story. How sad about that little girl. Both of them. So nice to see that they weren't greedy. My own kids have never asked for anything for Christmas. Maybe it's because we don't do the Santa thing, so they aren't in the mode of writing letters. I don't know, but it's so refreshing that they are not greedy.
Hi! I'm a friend of Rochelle's and she told me about your sweet post. Thanks for sharing. Sweet stories. :)
Thanks for sharing those stories! They're really humbling!
Post a Comment