Dear Santa

The cold weather in conjuction with the increased cost of heating one's home, certainly makes a person reflect upon the value of receiving a lump of coal as a gift!

However, it also makes a person glad to know that the Lord is not like the false portrayal of Santa. Truly the Lord, the author and provider of Christmas and of all good things, does indeed know who has been good and bad. That, in fact, is the very reason for Christmas.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:16-21 KJV)

Truly, the Lord is our loving Father. He provides for us despite the fact that we deserve nothing but His wrath and punishment both now and forevermore. Yet in His loving-kindness, in His compassionate mercy, He showers His gifts upon us daily, even though we take the credit rather than giving Him thanks. He looks upon us and sees our bad deeds that we choose to count as good, and He calls us to look to His gift of salvation, which is in Christ Jesus. In Christ, not only do we receive all good things, but we are also declared to be good, even as our Father is good.

So, as I sit down to pay my electric bill and my gas bill, I will pause from my moaning and groaning to remember that my ability to pay these is from the Lord. More importantly, I will remember that the suffering that the cold brings to my awareness is a reminder of the suffering that my Lord bore for me in my place so that my reward would be everlasting peace and joy, credited to me on His account. For He was good for me so that even as I am connected to Him through my baptism, so I also am counted to be a good son of His Father, whom through Jesus, I also dare call my Father. I am free to do this because for Christ's sake, God calls me His son.