Written by Brian L. Gray

 

Illustration by Erin Kay Entzminger

 

It was late at night on Christmas Eve. Little Tommy was in bed. But he wasn’t asleep. He couldn’t sleep. He was too excited. Because this was the night that Santa Clause came into the house of every girl and boy and gave them gifts if they had been good all year. And Tommy knew he had been good.

This was Tommy’s favorite time of the year. He loved buying gifts for his brothers and sisters, and seeing the smiles that lit up their faces as they gleefully opened them.

Tommy also enjoyed being with his family during this merry time of year. He had been in church with his family earlier that day, and was learning all about Jesus and being a good person. But Tommy was confused. Not one time, when he was at church, did Tommy hear about this jolly old man who gave gifts to people.

“Who is this Santa Claus?” Tommy asked himself, while lying in bed.

Tommy had heard about some guys who gave gifts to Jesus when he was born. Was Santa Claus one of these three wise men? Or maybe Santa was Jesus all grown up, just a little older and fatter, and with his beard turned white, Tommy thought. He was curious, and he wanted to find out.

Tommy heard a noise coming from the chimney outside of his bedroom. Was this Santa? Tommy crept to his door and started to make his way toward the sound. ‘This must be Santa,’ he thought to himself, as he slowly tiptoed down the hallway towards the chimney. Tommy was determined to discover who this man really was.

There, in the living room, Tommy saw him. It was the large man himself, dressed in red and white, with a long white beard, a Christmas hat, and a big black buckle, making his way out of the chimney with a large bag of gifts. It was Santa Claus.

Tommy approached Santa, who was placing gifts under the Christmas tree, and tugged on his red parka.

“Santa?” Tommy said.

Santa turned around. “Oh, hello there, Tommy. Merry Christmas!”

Tommy didn’t answer. Instead, he stood there, staring at Santa with a curious look on his face. Santa noticed this, and knew what it meant. He had seen the same look on millions of young faces before.

“So, are you surprised to see me, Tommy?” Santa asked.

“Not really,” Tommy answered.

This surprised Santa. That was not the response he was expecting.

“Then why the curious look, Tommy?” Santa asked.

Once again, Tommy continued to stare at Santa, without speaking a word. In his mind, he was picturing all the photos he had ever seen of the three wise men, and of Jesus, and was trying to match them up with the face he saw in front of him.

Santa wondered if something was wrong. This was supposed to be a special night for little children, and he couldn’t figure out why Tommy was in this mood. Santa set down his bag of gifts and knelt next to him.

“Is everything okay, Tommy?” Santa asked.

Tommy looked right into Santa’s eyes and asked him, “Are you one of the three wise men?”

Santa chuckled, then shook his head. “No, I’m not, Tommy.”

‘So Santa gave gifts to people, but he wasn’t a wise man,’ Tommy thought to himself. That left only one more option. “Are you from Nazareth?” Tommy asked.

“No. I’m from the North Pole,” Santa answered.

“Is that close to the North Star?”

“No, I’m afraid it’s not.”

Tommy continued. “Can you perform miracles?”

Santa nodded. “Why, yes I can. Every year I bring toys to all the good boys and girls of the world in one night.”

“Can you walk on water, then?”

“No, but I can float,” Santa answered with a laugh, patting his large belly.

“Are you able to turn water into wine?”

“I’ve never tried. But I can drink every glass of milk and eat every cookie that every child leaves out for me.”

“Did you come here from heaven too?” asked Tommy.

Santa shook his head. “No, I snuck in through the chimney.”

“Can you fly to heaven?”

Again, Santa shook his head. “No, I can’t. But I can make reindeer fly.”

“Can you rise from the dead?” Tommy asked.

“No, but I haven’t aged in over one hundred years.”

“Do you have disciples?”

“I have elves,” Santa said.

“Do you help guide people?”

Like he had many times before, Santa shook his head. “No, I don’t. My reindeer, Rudolph, navigates for me.”

“Did you promise to spend your whole life trying to save everybody?” asked Tommy.

Santa knew he had to be honest, because Tommy was being honest. “No, I didn’t. I only work one day out of the year.”

“Would you die for my sins?”

“Oh Tommy, a crucifix wouldn’t be able to hold my weight,” Santa answered with a hearty laugh.

“So you’re not Jesus then?” Tommy asked.

Santa laughed again. “Ho-ho! No, my boy. I’m not Jesus.”

“Do you know Jesus?”

“I’ve never met him, but I’ve certainly heard of him.”

Tommy had to stop and think for a moment. Jesus and Santa were two entirely different people, and he had learned in church that Christmas began because of Jesus. If that was the case, where had Santa come from?

“So what do you do for Christmas?” Tommy asked.

“Well, I give gifts to nice young children, like you,” replied Santa.

“What about parents?”

“Oh yes, parents too. I give gifts to everyone.”

“So will Jesus get a gift from you this year?” Tommy asked.

Santa sat himself down on a chair next to the chimney and placed Tommy on his lap. “Tommy, Jesus doesn’t need a gift from me. Jesus’ gift is you.”

Tommy heard this and became confused. “What do you mean?” he asked Santa.

“Like I said,” Santa said to Tommy, “I’ve never met Jesus. But I bet he would be very happy to know that the world he tried saving still has good children like you in it. A young boy who is curious, and isn’t afraid to ask questions, and cares about others. Christmas isn’t about me. All I do is give you gifts if you’re good. And you’re a very good, and very bright boy, Tommy.”

“So who gives you a gift for Christmas, Santa?” Tommy asked.

“The gift I get each year is knowing that you have yourself a Merry Christmas. This is a time to remember what is important in life. And it’s a time to enjoy life, Tommy. It’s a time to enjoy your friends and family, and appreciate the loved ones in your life, and enjoy the time you have with them,” Santa answered.

Tommy nodded. He knew that was exactly why he wasn’t able to sleep. Christmas, to him, was a very exciting time of the year. Tommy loved sharing in the fun of that day with his family and friends. And that’s what made that day so wonderful for him.

“Merry Christmas, Santa,” Tommy said.

“Merry Christmas, Tommy,” Santa replied. He then reached into his bag, and pulled out a gift. He handed it to Tommy.

“This is for you, Tommy. I’m gonna trust that you don’t open it now, but that you save it for Christmas morning,” Santa said.

“I will. Thank you, Santa,” Tommy said.

Santa smiled. “Thank you, Tommy.”

And just like that, Santa set Tommy down and made his way back up the chimney, and in a flash he was gone.

Tommy, knowing it was not yet Christmas Day, walked back into bed and went to sleep, knowing a special gift was waiting for him in the morning.

But his best gift, he thought to himself right before he fell asleep, was knowing what Christmas was all about.