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Christmas devotion; Monthly Devotional By Dennis Reynolds
Christmas in America is an amazing time! Almost every weekend there are toy runs, Christmas parties, and a general feeling of good cheer abounds as we usher in the season in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Nothing else throughout the year even compares.
One of my most memorable Christmas stories comes from 25 years ago when the motorcycle group I happened to be President of was having our annual Christmas party.
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We reserved a room for a hundred people at a local restaurant called the Ranch and invited other chapters to bring their families for a good time of fellowship and food. Because we invited folks to bring their children, it was only fair that we invite Santa Claus to attend as well.
David, a somewhat mentally challenged local man in his early 40s, was everyone’s go-to guy when they needed a good Santa Claus. He was always smiling happy, he sported a big round belly, and he absolutely ADORED children. Christmas was David’s favorite time of the year and he so looked forward to playing the part of Santa.
As couples entered the room, if I noticed children with them, I made mention there may be a special guest in attendance later, and for them to be prepared. The children present at the party ranged in age from as young as five to as old as fourteen.
I noticed one older couple looking for a seat, and they had a young girl of about eight or nine with them. Most of the other children ran around and played with each other, but this girl sat quietly with what I assumed to be her grandparents and did not really say anything.
We ate a great meal, had some awesome dessert and coffee, and enjoyed a few moments of fellowship before a waitress popped her head into the room.
“Hey folks,” she said, “I have someone who is late for supper but would still like to come in and hang out for a while. Is that alright?”
To the cheers of the 25 or 30 children in the room, David walked in wearing his full Santa costume complete with a sack full of candy stuffed stockings! As children do, they went nuts and rushed toward their sleigh riding hero!
Santa David “HO HO HO’ed” his way across the room and took a seat which was already set up for him. One by one, children hopped onto his lap, gave their wish list, and grabbed their stocking full of candy.
The aforementioned little girl calmy waited her turn, and then eagerly jumped up into Santa’s lap.
“My, you are a beautiful young lady,” David stated, “What can Santa bring you this year?” The little girl looked up at David with tears in her eyes and asked, “Can you please bring my daddy home? He left mommy and me and I really miss him. Mommy has to work a lot so Nanna and Papa brought me tonight.”
Santa David turned and looked directly at me, with a tear running down his cheek, as if to ask, “What do I say?”
“You got this Santa.” I quietly whispered.
David turned back to the little girl and said, “I don’t know if I can help with that one young lady, but I know who can.” Then, he bowed his head and prayed. He prayed for that little girl, he prayed for that mom, and he prayed that if God saw fit, that he put a burden on that father’s heart to reunite with his family. Then he prayed that if it was not to be, that someone would be there for her to take on that role. When he finished, he kissed her cheek and gave her a bag of candy.
There was not a dry eye in the place. David stood up, gave a teary “HO HO HO”, and walked toward the door.
The little girl’s daddy never came home, but her mom married a wonderful man a couple of years later who has raised her as his own. He was there for every soccer game, every track meet, he walked her across a football field for homecoming, and he stood to give her away at her wedding. Was it her faith or the prayer of a simpleminded Santa that did it?
I don’t know the answer to that. I do know however that about the time Santa prayed for her, that new daddy was praying for a family of his own. You see, he was horribly lonely after his wife and daughter were killed in a traffic accident a few months earlier.
Coincidence? Nope. Just proof that God answers the prayers of the faithful. The outcome may not be what we pray for, but it will be what he sees as best for us.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 New International Version
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Ride on and stay safe, Dennis Reynolds
Mideast Regional Elder
