4-9-03

Since I have gotten up late this morning, my schedule is kind of weird. So, I�m going to do a different kind of Bible Study today. I have Nachos in the oven for breakfast. I�m drinking about 8 ounces of chocolate milk and I have about three hours of work to do this morning. I have about two and a half hours in which to do it. But I�m going to do Bible Study first. So there.

I�m reading through a Guideposts book called The Hidden Hand of God. I occasionally read through books like this because they are filled with inspiring stories about the miraculous intervention of God in �normal� peoples� lives. Of all the stories I�ve read, the ones I like best are those which show miracles at Christmas.

Yes, you read that right. No, I still don�t believe in Christmas� I don�t celebrate it and I think it�s a bogus holiday. However, there are people who don�t agree with me. Atop that, there are people for whom Christmas is truly a miraculous and Godly holiday. If those people get to spend even one day out of the year being thankful to God, more power to them.

The reason I like the miracle-at-Christmas stories in these guideposts books is because it reminds me that 1 Miracles happen and 2 God is in charge of it all and 3 I�m NOT! Heh. Seriously, those stories remind me to lean not unto my own understanding. This is God�s gig. I�m just one very small part of it. Just because I choose not to celebrate Christmas doesn�t make it wrong for someone else to celebrate. And, just because it is a �no-go� in my world doesn�t mean God can�t use it to bring home a few points to me as well as others.

Anyway� you�re either going to understand what I�m getting at or not� it�s not my job to make it clearer.

I wanted to pass along one of the stories, though. This is from Chapter three.

Christmas Loaves and Fishes by Raynier Maharaj

On Christmas Eve in homes everywhere, there is quiet excitement. The festive feeling and the warmth of having family near brings to mind a Christmas tale I love to relate each year. It�s a true story, even though it might sound unbelievable. And it gives proof that miracles do happen.

A long time ago there was a group of young people who decided to spread some Christmas cheer. They had discovered that there were several children who would be spending the festive day in a community hospital nearby. So they bought nice presents, wrapped them and, with guitars, sweet voices and one of the friends dressed as Santa Claus, dropped in unexpectedly at the hospital on Christmas Eve.

The children were overjoyed at seeing Santa, and by the time the group was finished handing out presents and singing Christmas carols, there were tears in everyone�s eyes. From then on, it was decided they would play Santa every year.

The following Christmas Eve, the ladies at the hospital were included in the rounds, and by the third year it was expanded to embrace some poor children in the neighborhood.

On the fourth Christmas Eve, however, after all the rounds were made, Santa Clause looked into his bag and discovered there were a few extra toys left. So the friends mulled it over, trying to figure out what to do with them. Somebody mentioned that there were a few squatters� shacks nearby in which a couple of desperately poor families lived.

So the group decided to go there, thinking there were perhaps three families at most. But as they drove over the crest of the hill into this lonely area � it was around midnight now � the shocked group saw a number of people standing at the side of the street.

They were children � more than thirty of them. Behind them were not three shacks but rows and rows of shabby squatters� dwellings. AS the cars drew to a stop, the children came running up, shouting with joy. It turned out they had been waiting patiently all night for Santa Claus. Somebody � no one could remember who � had told them that he was coming, although our Santa had decided to go there only moments before.

Everyone was stunned, except for Santa. He was in a panic. He knew he didn�t have enough toys for all these kids. Eventually, not wanting to disappoint the children, he decided to give whatever toys he had only to the smallest children. When the presents ran out, he�d just have to explain to the bigger kids what had happened.

So moments later he found himself perched on top of the car�s hood as these thirty or more sparkling clean children, dressed in their best clothes, lined up in order of height, with the smallest first, for their moment with him. As each anxious child approached, Santa dipped into his bag, his heart heavy with dread, hoping to find at least one more toy. And, by some miracle, he found one each time he dipped. And as the last of the children received a present, Santa looked into is now deflated bag. It was empty � empty as it should have been twenty-four children ago.

With relief, he let out a hearty �Ho ho ho� and bade the kids farewell. But as he was about to enter the car (the reindeer, apparently had the day off), he heard a child scream, �Santa! Santa! Wait!� And out of the bushes rushed to little children, a boy and a girl. They had been asleep.

Santa�s heart sank. This time he knew for sure he had no more toys. The bag was empty. But as the out-of-breath kids approached, he summoned up some courage and dipped into the bag once more. And, lo and behold, there were two more presents in there.

The group of friends, now all grown adults, still talk about this miracle on Christmas morning. They still have no explanation for it, other than the fact that it happened. How do I know so much about this? Well, I was the one playing Santa.

It doesn�t matter what my beliefs are. God can work miracles if I agree with them or not. So I don�t believe in Christmas. So I personally think it�s a bullshit excuse by places like Sears and Fred Meyer to drum up more money. There are some people out there for whom Christmas is a holy and sacred holiday. More power to ya, folks. It�s not my job to foist my beliefs on someone else.

There are people out there who take Christmas for granted� not in a negative way� they take, as fact, that everyone observes Christmas. When they come across someone who does NOT celebrate Christmas, it is a shock and a surprise.

For me, since I was about six months old or so, I haven�t celebrated Christmas. And yet, since I was about a year old, I have celebrated the feasts. For me, the feasts are the given. So, just because my religious beliefs don�t mesh with someone else�s, doesn�t mean either of us is wrong. What works for you works for you. Go for it, do it, more power to ya.

I like stories about Christmas miracles because they remind me to keep an open mind. They remind me that God does not deal with the entire world the way He deals with me. And, it reminds me that just because I believe something specific, doesn�t mean that the exact opposite is impossible for someone else.

�Nuff said.