When our son Luke was 6 he asked if Santa was real. Luke was our 3rd child. His older brother and sister were already privy to the truth.
So I knew he knew.
I did the little bit about the real Saint Nick and why we do what we do.
Yada. Yada. Yada.
And Luke, being all Luke said a very Luke thing:
Did you lie about Jesus too?
Needless to say, with our younger children… we aren’t into Santa. And I am not saying you shouldn’t do the whole Santa thing, but our two younger sons are adopted. I can’t have anything between us that makes them not trust me.
The “original” batch of our biological children range in age from 14-21. One is engaged, one joined the Marines, yesterday. The “new batch” of kids is four, two, and one. Friday as I worked on book edits, I could hear my mommy helper, Bobbi, singing Jesus songs and telling them the Nativity Story. For a moment my heart ached and I took time out to have a good cry.
Outside my protective reach, “the Originals” are coming of age in a whole new age. Things are much different than I would have imagined when we began our parenting journey. I did everything I could to be a “good Christian mommy.”
Yet, tis the season to become your own person.
And I don’t believe that Santa caused disbelief… but some say they don’t believe, or they “just aren’t sure.”
That’s not why I am crying.
I raised a lady-baby that will soon be a wife-baby. I raised a man-baby that will soon be a Marine-baby. I poured into them and loved every aspect of the journey… well except for the 13th year of any given life, which is like a yearlong root canal while sitting on a Lego in an itchy sweater. And of the original-babies I know they know I love Jesus. And I know they remember the songs and the stories. I feel certain they know my Jesus.
They couldn’t have been raised under this roof and not known Him. I talked about Him and sang about Him. I answered their questions, always with a nod to Him.
And I am not singling out any one of the young adult babies, but I am talking to you moms of young adult babies who are grief stricken or worried about a season of unbelief.
You did a good job.
At your very worst, you told them the truth of the Cross.
They watched you pray.
They saw you praise.
They heard your prayers.
They know the Truth.
