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Santa Claus is Coming to Town....

We took our granddaughter to Pat's Union Christmas Party yesterday. We have been taking Cassidy every year since she was born. This year was the first year that she really get's that Santa Claus is real and she is a excited four year old. The innocence in her face glows like an Angel.
Santa and Mrs. Claus walked in and Cassidy started doing the little jumping up and down thing that she does when she is excited. She started that as soon as she could stand up. Her arms wave up and down to a song she must hear in her head. It's precious. It's so girly.
I was kneeling down right next to her, so I could watch her expressions up close and personal. I don't want to miss a thing. She stopped jumping up and down and put her tiny little arm around me and whispered “He's kinda old?” she had a serious look on her face and her eyes said “Do you think he can do it? Do you think he's going to be able to deliver all of those toys”?
A child can see it. They can see beyond the face and into the eyes. They can see when something is wrong, when something is missing.
We have known Santa and Mrs. Claus for years. Santa knew Pat by name. They had a relationship but Santa didn't recognize him yesterday. Santa's eyes had that look. The look of bewilderment. The look of lost dreams. Cassidy saw it. She knew. Children see these things. They see deep down into our souls. She might not understand what it is but she felt it.
Pat placed her unto Santa's lap and she told him she wanted a YOYO and other stuff. Then his eyes smiled and He said “I haven't had the request in years....a YOYO...you want a YOYO? I watched his aged hands as he motioned up and down as if he had a YOYO is his hands. He was Santa again. The Santa we knew the Santa we love.
“Thank you Jesus for the glimpse of our old friend. Thank you for the moment. Thank you for showing me how precious a moment can be. At that moment as he smiled and spoke it was if time stood still. I understood what it meant to be in the moment. Nothing else matter. Nothing else was on my mind. There was nothing to rush to get to. I know that you call us to see life this way. You know we can't do it every minute but you want us to see the gifts that you give us in our daily life. I am reminded of the Gospel when the Children wanted to spend time with you and the Apostles tried to tell them that you where busy....to busy for the children. I can almost see you, hear you as you whispered “Send them here, let the children come to me...the kingdom of belongs to children like this” I can see your eyes as they soften as a child climbed on to your lab. I can see how time stood still, the busyness stopped. I can see you smile as you talked to them. I saw you yesterday in Santa's smile looking down on my granddaughter. I saw your love. I saw your joy.”
It is my hope that you and I can stop during this busy time of Christmas and be in the moment. To see with our hearts the love that Jesus has for us. To recognize Him in those around us. To look for moments that are gifts. Time goes by so quickly. These days will be lost before we know it. Now is the time...not next week, not next year, not when the work is done, or when we retire.....what's important doesn't cost money, doesn't require any special arrangements...it is right in front of us....in the eyes and hearts of those around us. Let time stand still now.