Believing is Seeing

I secretly wished I was Elf Judy.

There is a scene in the movie the Santa Claus that I always think about this time of year.  Scott Calvin, the grumpy divorced dad who regrettably has his son Charlie for Christmas Eve night has just arrived in the North Pole after an evening of unfortunate events with a new title - Santa Claus. As he paces his charming toy-store of a bedroom stocked with live puppets and a window overlooking flying polar bears, he questions how this could all be real. The little elf Judy says to him, "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing." (And yes, I recalled that all from memory. I truly am the Ambassador of Christmas).

This quote definitely stuck with me as a child, which is why I think I believed in Santa Claus until I was a solid 12 years old. Okay, don't laugh. Yes I believed that one year my bus driver was Santa and was even more convinced when he promised it would snow on Christmas eve AND IT DID. You may call me gullible, but give me a little more credit - I think I knew in my mind that there was no rational way it could be true, but my heart never wanted to admit it. And it is that spirit of wanting to believe in something bigger and more magical than reality that makes me love the Christmas season so much. For just a few short weeks we are all given the opportunity to relive our childhood and allow ourselves to be surrounded by love, hope and possibility instead of the harshness that often coats reality like rust. We can see through the eyes of the little ones who know nothing but love. If you allow yourself to believe in the goodness of this season, you will see the good.


In the office yesterday we were debating whether or not parents should foster the belief in Santa when they know he is not real. Is this the same as lying to your child? Well if you ask me, stripping them of the opportunity to feel that sense of wonder on Christmas morning - a moment of pure innocence that only a child can feel - is simply silly. Let's be honest. We lie to our children about a lot of things. Why not protect and cherish the age in which their trust is not determined by rationality. As the famous case rests in the classic film re-make of Miracle on 34th Street -I ask the court to judge which is worse: A lie that draws a smile or a truth that draws a tear.

So today I challenge you to have a little faith in something that may seem hopeless or impossible. After all, Santa Claus may not be my 5th grade bus driver, but perhaps knowing I believed he was brought joy to his life that season.

And of course, let's not forget what this season is really about - God and the birth of Jesus. It takes a whole lot of faith and trust to believe in Him, and yet, I wouldn't have it any other way.