Ask Mama Capps!

Dec

2011

” There’s no such thing as Santa Clause!” Really??

This is a copy of an article I was asked to write for a Christmas edition in or church newsletter several years ago. I repeat it this year in hopes that it blesses you. I thought you might enjoy it. I’m sure many of you have some great Christmas stories and I hope you will share them

Many years ago as a little girl I experienced a real encounter with Santa. My faith in Jesus, who introduced Santa to me, inspired a song that I wrote which has since become our family song. I wrote the song when I was 14. Later it was recorded and even my grandchildren nieces and nephews sing it today. None of them have ever heard the real story behind the song , so I will write it here. This is a story that even as a grandmother, keeps me believing in Santa.

It had been a hard year financially and my Dad had gone to California to find work to no avail. He showed up just before Christmas to my Mama and seven small children. I could tell even at that age that he was angry and that tensions were high. My little brother however never noticed so in his excitement blurted out to him ” Daddy, What’s Santa bringing us for Christmas?” I could see the anger rising in him as he grabbed his coat and reached for the door. On his way out he screamed back ” There’s no such thing as Santa Clause!” For whatever reason we didn’t see him again until after the holidays. Maybe it was his pride or pain that kept him away I don’t know. What I remember is, my mama and all seven of us stood in the doorway and watched as he drove away. I think we all knew at that point that Santa wouldn’t be visiting our house that year.

That Sunday, as the oldest I dressed all the little ones and wrapped the baby. We walked the six blocks to a little church . It was the closest church for us to attend at that time. I remember that I had won a bible there the week before for memorizing the books of the bible. I remember being so thankful when the preacher said anyone could come to the alter to pray for anything. As I gathered the little ones and headed toward the front, I had no idea how to pray. I only knew that I had heard that it was the only way to talk to God. As I reached the alter, and knelt to pray with the baby in my arms and the others pulling at my clothes, I began my prayer something like this.

” Excuse me Lord if I don’t do this right, I promise to practice and get better. I really need to ask a favor today though. My Mama is really worried that maybe Santa doesn’t exist. That may be true but if it’s not, could you please give him a message for me? Would you ask him to please forgive my Dad for what he said about him? He is really stressed and I’m sure didn’t mean it. There are seven of us Lord and if you would let Santa know that it’s OK if it’s just a little bit. Maybe he could bring my brother some shoes. Could you just ask him to give Mama something to make her smile?. Thanks a lot Lord. Oh and just in case you need to know, we live in the yellow house on 5th street. ”

In the days to come I was sure that if there was a Santa. I would have gotten a sign . Nothing. No sign of Dad and Mama with no smile. Mama did find a branch that had fallen from a tree in the back yard. It had a little greenery on it. She somehow propped it up in a mop bucket and encouraged us to find things to decorate it with. At last it was at least feeling a little like Christmas! Getting excited about the possibility, we began making cards out of scrap paper and looking for boxes to wrap them in to give to one another. We even borrowed newspaper from a neighbor for wrapping paper.

The next week passed and still no Dad. Food was getting scarce. We had been eating dried beans and biscuits for days. By Christmas eve it was clear to me that there was no Santa and I hadn’t prayed right enough to get God a message. Mama had been hinting that Santa was very busy and might not get to us this year. She did however tell us to keep a watch outside just in case he gets time to stop. Looking back I know that she was just trying to keep our hopes alive even as her heart was breaking and her hopes were shattered. Never the less, my little brother would keep looking out the door. I remember his little voice to this day “Nothin’ yet ya’ll” . As the night grew late Mama said to her yawning children that we should go to bed and check again in the morning. The pain and sorrow in her face was all I needed to know that Daddy was right, Santa didn’t exist. I finished my beans and biscuits and got ready for bed with a heavy heart. If only I had learned how to pray.

Just then, there was a long beep beep beep outside and a squeaking break sound! ” It’s Santa!” my brother said as he ran to the door. Mama didn’t move from her chair at the table but the confused look on her face said that she had no clue who it might be but was sure it wasn’t Santa. I pushed through the others to see out the door but all I could see was an old school bus with a church name on the side. I backed up and looked at my Mama again just in time to hear ” It’s Santa and all his helpers!” said my little sister. Confused, my Mama Started toward the door. Before she could get across the room, the doorway was filled with a tall, thin, scraggly looking Santa! No suit just his hat and a shadow of a beard, not hiding warm smile. Behind him were helpers but they were not little people like the elves I expected. They were big people all with Santa hats . Santa didn’t have a bag but a cardboard box filled his arms. Each of the helpers also carried boxes. I think there were twelve.

Mama asked the strange looking Santa “What is this?” But there was only singing as they all walked to the kitchen and put down their boxes. Santa had disappeared and when I looked again he was standing beside the little makeshift tree. I watched in amazement as he handed each child a brand new pair of shoes even Me! How did he know? Did God get my prayer somehow anyway? In addition to the shoes, each child was given a homemade carved toy and a stocking full of little things. Of course we were all excited but when mama called us all to the kitchen to instruct the “say thank you’s” we could see that the boxes were full of food! Man that was a sight! Food to last for years I thought. But then the table was also full with fresh warm cooked food. A feast fit for a king!

In all of the excitement no one talked but the kids. The helpers and Santa just kept singing. Then silence, as Santa spoke. “May we have a word of prayer before we leave?” I swear I heard” to the North Pole” but I was very young. A short prayer was said by Santa. It ended with ” Thank You Jesus.” Then I knew it! Santa doesn’t just exist, he know Jesus too! Before he could say amen, my Mama’s voice, low and shaking, began to pray. I heard her thanking God for Santa and Jesus. Then with tears streaming down she thanked them for coming and they were all gone. This was the best Christmas I can remember even though it was never again so tough. This was the Christmas that Jesus introduced me to the real Santa Clause!

For the last almost 50 years when my children and grandchildren ask if Santa Clause is real, I just smile and sing to them what has become our family song “I believe in Santa Clause cause I believe in Jesus”. There has never been a year that I have not been blessed to happen upon a family in hard times at Christmas. I and my children, and now my grandchildren, have counted it as an honor to share what we have at this time of year. Though they have grown up with the song I wrote years later when I was 14, they had never known the story behind the song until now. My cousin asked a while back for the words to the song saying she couldn’t get the tune out of her head. I was honored that even my extended family still remember it.

No matter how well I have it or how many things I get or give for Christmas, that Christmas so very long ago will stand forever in my heart as the best of all. I look at all the presents today that flow from under the tree and beyond and am reminded. The stack of presents by the door awaiting someone else’s tree are the most precious gifts of all. Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends. For me, Christmas is all about Jesus saying. ” Yes Debbie, there is a Santa Clause!

THE SONG