Jolly Old Saint Nicholas by Ann Walker
Traditions are fun. So are songs.
“Jolly old Saint Nicholas,
Lean your ear this way!
Don’t you tell a single soul
What I’m going to say:
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
Now, you dear old man
Whisper what you’ll bring to me;
Tell me if you can.
When the clock is striking twelve,
When I’m fast asleep
Down the chimney, broad and black,
With your pack you’ll creep
All the stockings you will find
Hanging in a row
Mine will be the shortest one,
You’ll be sure to know….”
When I think about Saint Nicholas, I think about the fun tradition where children place their shoes out on the evening before December 6--with the hopes that St. Nicholas would fill the shoes. When the children wake up in the morning, they would find the lovely goodies!
When I think about Santa Claus, I think about the poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” If you have read the words, you know it is a tale of Santa coming down the chimney to bring Christmas gifts.
Gift giving is always fun. Receiving can be even more fun! The best gift, though, is the gift of Jesus! There is a quote attributed to Saint Nicholas. It says, “The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” When we think about blessings, we can certainly feel blessed when we are able to purchase gifts or be on the receiving end of gifts. When we stop to think about it, we realize that everything we have comes from God-- mostly indirectly; but we are blessed to realize just how many gifts God showers us with every day.
Christmastime can be challenging for some. We never know what another is going through. So, it can be a lovely gift to just spend time with someone. If we are overly busy, a quick phone call can do wonders. Maybe just a smile may be all that we can muster—but it may be the only smile someone receives. So, that in itself would be a lovely gift!
Here’s hoping that this season will fill you with many gifts from above. Then, like Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, here’s hoping that we are able to spread some of the kindness around!
- By Ann Walker