A Christmas Story by David Michael

He looked like an ordinary Santa Claus. Official uniform, beard, belly, rosey cheeks and glasses. It was all there. However, there was something very different about him. Standing in line with my daughter, Sophie, waiting our turn, I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. What was it about this Santa Claus that I became so transfixed?

I counted how many children were ahead of us, and based on about how long Santa was spending with each child, it looked like it was going to be about twenty-five minutes. He spent almost five minutes with each child, which was the longest of any Santa Claus I had ever seen. Maybe I should have gone to the mall Santa, I thought. They have longer lines, but they move faster. This guy seemed to be taking too much time with each child. How long does it take to ask, "What do you want for Christmas?"

My patience was running thin. Of course, as usual, I waited until the last minute. Sophie had been begging me each night when I got home from work to see Santa Claus, but I was so tired. It had been an extremely difficult year at work. Being a pharmaceutical rep is great when your drugs are hot. However, our main drug, Melophyll, a very effective anti-depressants, was under intense scrutiny. At the beginning of the year, a senator's son had committed suicide while taking the drug. As you can imagine, this immediately led to investigations. As a result, the docs were reluctant to continue prescribing. My sales plummeted, which translated into a very small year-end bonus. I counted on this bonus to get caught up on bills and take care of Christmas.

This was also our first Christmas without Michael. He died in a one-car accident in January. He had lost his job a few months before and was having a difficult time finding another one. He threatened to sell the house, I blew up, and he left in a fury. An hour later I got a call from the highway patrol -- a one car accident. What a year, the worst year of my life. The pain was so intense.

How long is this going to take? This Santa is taking way too much time. Finally, we were only a child away. Sophie was getting so excited. The little boy was on Santa's lap was mesmerized. What was Santa saying to this little boy? I looked over at his mom and she had a beautiful smile, and a tear was streaming down the side of her face. I looked at Santa and he was smiling, his eyes were glowing. I looked at his hands and the way he was holding the boy. I thought, this man must be a great father and grandfather. The little boy smiled for the camera, gave Santa a hug, and then went over to his mom and gave her a big hug. It was finally Sophie's turn.

Sophie walked up to Santa and hopped up on his lap. She was very confident for a six year old.

Without hesitation she said, "Hello, Santa. My name is Sophie."

Santa smiled and said, "Greetings, Sophie. I was hoping you were going to come by today."

Sophie smiled.

"Sophie, what would make Christmas special for you this year?"

That was an odd question, Sophie thought. She thought about it for a moment and said, "For my mommy to be happy."

"Why is your mother sad?" Santa asked.

"Because my daddy is gone and he is not coming back. Mommy said he is in heaven."

"You must miss your daddy," said Santa.

"Yes, I do," Sophie said. "My daddy was mad at mommy and he crashed his car."

"Sophie, that is so sad. I have something to tell you that is very important for you to remember the rest of your life. Are you ready?"

Yes.

"Sophie, you are loved. Can you remember this the rest of your life?"

"Yes, Santa. I am loved."

"Also, every day, give your mom a hug and tell her that you love her. After we get our picture made, I want you to hug your mom and tell her how much you love her. By the way, what did you want for Christmas?"

Sophie smiled real big and told Santa what she wanted for Christmas.

Santa's helper took their picture and Sophie did what Santa said.

It was so special to have Sophie give me a big hug after she talked to Santa Claus and tell me that she loved me. When I picked up Sophie's picture, there was also a note on the card. "I am the pastor of the Church of New Beginnings on 2717 Main Street. You are invited to our Christmas Eve service tonight at 6, 8, or 10 PM."

It had been a long time since Sophie and I had been to church. For some reason, as if some type of force was pulling me, I decided to go to the Christmas Eve service. My mom and dad were visiting, so after Sophie was sound asleep, I decided to go to the 10 PM service.

The Church of New Beginnings was in what was at one time, Johnson's Furniture Mart. It had gone out of business, and the church started meeting there.

When I walked into the service, an usher handed me a candle and a program. The service began promptly at 10:00. Pastor Anderson welcomed everyone to the service. He still looked like Santa Claus, however, he no longer had the red suit. There was something about his welcome that made me feel as if he was giving me a hug. I really felt like he was glad I was there. Then the music director, with about twelve others, started singing Christmas songs. Everyone began singing with the group. The music was beautiful. Tears welled up in my eyes. It had been a very difficult year, and the tears started flowing. I took a Kleenex out of my purse and tried to stop the flood.

Pastor Anderson began his message with these words. "God brought you here tonight for a purpose. It is no accident that you decided to come. For some of you, this may have been the most difficult year of your life. For others, this may have been a good year, but you may have forgotten the most important message from God. YOU ARE LOVED! God loved you so much, that he sent his only Son, that who ever believes in him, will not perish, but have life forever!" Then Pastor Anderson told the Christmas story I had heard as a child, but this time was different. As he told the story, I looked into his eyes, and it was as if he was telling me how much he loved me, and how much God loved me. The story became alive.

After the message, we lit the candles to the song, Emmanuel. It was beautiful. Pastor Anderson blessed us, and then everyone began to leave. Pastor Anderson had gone to the back to greet everyone as they left. When I went by him, he gave me a hug and said, "I know you have a lot of pain in your life, remember that God loves you so much. He also loves your precious daughter, Sophie." It surprised me that he remembered Sophie's name. Tears again started rolling down my cheeks.
Yes, this Santa was unique. He was full of love. It wasn't just a seasonal part-time job. It was indeed his calling, his life.

I made a decision to come back, and the next time I would bring Sophie. I needed a "new beginning." It had been a very unusual day, because I met a very unusual Santa.