Working in my office the other morning, I heard some rattling noises on the other side of the house. Since I was busy, I didn't take the time to find out what that noise was all about.
Around lunch, I was still hearing that noise. I decided to go into the kitchen and see what we were having for lunch, and as I did, I noticed The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, was in the living room setting up our Christmas tree.
Sometimes, I think it’d be nice if there was a Santa Claus. Every year, my parents would take me downtown to see Santa, and I’d sit on his lap and tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I assured him I was a very good boy all year.
Every year I sat on his lap and told him I wanted a pony and nothing more. He always went through his “ho ho ho” act and I believed he was going to do it for me.
I remember getting up Christmas morning and running into the living room, where my parents had the tree surrounded by all the gifts. With nothing around the tree, I ran to the back porch, looked out, and shouted to my parents, “Where is he? I can’t see him.”
Of course, my parents would say, “What are you talking about?” And I always responded by saying, “Santa Claus promised he was going to bring me a pony. Now, where is that pony?”
The older I got, the more sophisticated my parents’ response was. Usually, it was something like, “Santa might’ve run out of ponies, so you’ll have to wait until next year, and I’m sure he'll bring one next year.”
That Christmas went by, and another and another and there never was a sign of a pony before I finally was old enough to realize the ruse I’d fallen for.
I was thinking about this as I was eating lunch. There, the Christmas tree was in the process of being put together for Christmas. One of our family routines is for Martha to buy a new jingle bell, usually at her favorite thrift store for the tree. As I was looking at the tree, I noticed a space near the top, but no jingle bell.
I looked at my wife and said, “Dear where is the new jingle bell and why is there a big space on top of the Christmas tree?”
“I guess you never pay attention to what's going on around here, do you?” Then she laughed a good, merry laugh.
“I can’t put the new bell on until Christmas Eve. That’s been our tradition for many years, in case you haven’t noticed, and I guess you haven’t with that question.”
I do love it when a plan comes together, even if it’s not my plan, and verse in Thessalonians came to mind.
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” — 2 Thessalonians 2: 15 Traditions are important, especially those grounded on the Word of God.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected]
