Musing Meditation- Joy Can Be Revealed in Surprises!

Odds are if you are reading this email, you have a different understanding of Santa than you did when you were 5 years old. BUT – spoiler alert – if you do not, and you see Santa in the same perspective, stop reading now. 🙂

There is something about the idea and magic of Santa that brings joy!

I believed in Santa long after I probably should have. In fact, there is a part of me that still believes in Santa and the magic of Christmas!

My mom and dad did a great job of making sure the “magic” of Christmas happened.

Every year on Christmas Eve, late in the afternoon the phone would ring and Santa was on the other line. Santa would ask how I was, share many “ho ho ho’s,” inquire about what I wanted for Christmas, and then ask to speak to my mom and dad.

I remember, at some point, being concerned that Santa wanted to talk to my parents for such a long time. I’d tried “to be good” so what could they possibly need to discuss? Wasn’t he really busy? It was, after all, Christmas Eve!

I’d lurk in the hallway, waiting on my parents to finish talking.

(This was back in the dark ages when the phone was attached to the wall, there was only one phone, and it was located in a central location in the home.)

After the call with Santa would finish, we would open one Christmas present, spend time with my grandparents, and then go to bed in hopeful anticipation of what was going to come in the morning.

Christmas morning never left me disappointed. Whatever doll or toy I’d dreamed of would always show up under the tree.

Years passed and awareness happened. But for as long as I lived at home with my parents, the magic of Christmas morning never stopped. Even when the magic changed from being toys to vacuum cleaners, dishes, and practical items, the element of surprise remained and always brought joy.

Whether it is kindness from a stranger, special actions from those we know/love, or circumstances that are better than what we originally thought they would be, good surprises bring joy!

We (the staff and I) can’t figure it out . . .but it seems that Santa has adopted the West staff this year! And not just the staff that are always in the office. Every single person on West payroll has been dropped off gifts from Santa in the past few days! We don’t know who you are doing this . . . but we do want to tell you THANK YOU!

At a time when it is extremely difficult to keep morale high and know that what we are doing makes a difference, your actions of love and Christmas magic are bringing us great joy! They are amazing surprises! So please know how grateful we are!

Surprises come when we are not expecting them! But – – – perhaps we can be attuned to receiving them as they happen in our midst!

My guess is you can find a few GOOD surprises in your life today!

May we each be mindful of looking and seeing those great things in our lives – the things that bring joy!

That is an unmistakeable promise of the Christmas season!

Luke 2:10-11:

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.