![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/257\/2013\/12\/santa_claus_hat-wide-300x187.jpg\" "\\"santa_claus_hat-wide\\"")
<\/a>morning opening up the cards that have arrived. After all, isn\u2019t Christmas about the thought, the love, and being present in one another\u2019s hearts?<\/p>\nBut it is also true that there is nothing so joyous as to hear a child squeal with delight as they open up the gift of their dreams \u2013 the one that they whispered in Santa\u2019s ear after spending countless stressful minutes in a lineup to sit on his gigantic lap and muster up the courage to say: yes, this is what I truly want.<\/p>\n
For children who are blessed with growing up in a family that nurtures belief in Santa, what they are receiving above all is their first lesson in metaphysics.<\/p>\n
The belief in Santa instills in these small children the concept that their tiny young consciousness has the power to change their experience. I don\u2019t know a metaphysician around that didn\u2019t start out manifesting the material (that great car, perhaps a new apartment or house), and then moved on to the more complex tasks like the perfect job, peaceful relationships, and love of self and others.<\/p>\n
And who hasn\u2019t had the experience of going to a practitioner with a problem and being encouraged to \u201cborrow\u201d the practitioner\u2019s belief until such time as the belief is fully incorporated into our own consciousness.<\/p>\n
This is precisely what parents are doing. They are acting as \u201cpractitioners\u201d for their children \u2013 allowing their children to borrow their belief, and they in turn ensure that the belief (however possible) is manifested.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter how it comes about. For generations and generations parents always find a way to make their children\u2019s wishes come true to the best of their ability, as was so evident with Bob Cratchitt and his Dickens family. They didn\u2019t wait for Scrooge to have his epiphany. They relied on their own resources to create the love and the beauty of Christmas despite all appearances.<\/p>\n
And yes, in today\u2019s world some parents will turn to the food bank \u2013 and so Christmas arrives that way. For others, it comes as unexpected support from loving family and friends. But Christmas always comes to those who have the courage to ask with a pureness of heart.<\/p>\n
As I grow older, the material increasingly falls away. Christmas is richer now, all while there is less. And it makes room for me to reflect on the relationships in my life, and what I truly value. It makes me pause and savour the food that we share. It makes me consider my words, and increases my desire to sincerely express gratitude.<\/p>\n
It occurs to me that the way Christmas changes as we age is the way of our beingness. There is no need for me to judge the ways of youth. And they can\u2019t understand how new Christmas socks could mean so much to me. This is the way of our beingness. This is the natural evolution of our consciousness.<\/p>\n
So snuggle up with those children. Watch for the magic in their eyes. Encourage them to connect with their belief, and take the time to thank Santa. As they mature, they\u2019ll leave behind the power of their parent\u2019s consciousness, and then use the power of belief to create for themselves.<\/p>\n
The true meaning of Christmas rests in the simple things: belief, love, peace, and happiness. As with everything, it is so complex, and yet so simple.<\/p>\n
Best wishes for the holiday season.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Over the years I\u2019ve heard many people bemoan the way in which children ask for so many material things. It\u2019s true \u2013 sometimes to our more mature minds, the gifts that pile up under the tree appear to be overwhelming. Some of us are simply happy to spend our Christmas morning opening up the cards […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1233,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[6,110,48,23,116,24,26,22],"class_list":["post-531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spiritual-living-2","tag-centers-for-spiritual-living","tag-christmas","tag-kenn-gordon","tag-religious-science","tag-santa","tag-science-of-mind","tag-spiritual-living","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\n
The Power of Santa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Over the years I\u2019ve heard many people bemoan the way in which children ask for so many material things. It\u2019s true \u2013 sometimes to our more mature minds,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theprinciplesofspiritualliving\/2013\/12\/the-power-of-santa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Power of Santa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Over the years I\u2019ve heard many people bemoan the way in which children ask for so many material things. 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<\/a>morning opening up the cards that have arrived. After all, isn\u2019t Christmas about the thought, the love, and being present in one another\u2019s hearts?<\/p>\n