Growing Up
Have you seen The Polar Express yet? The end of the movie gets me right in the heart. The sleigh bell rings for the boy and his sister, but his parents don’t hear it. He narrates, now as a man, that as the years went on the bell stopped ringing for his sister, but that the bell still rings for him.
After watching the movie recently, Andrew, my 6 year old son, turned to me and asked “Does the bell still ring for you daddy?” Andrew has been struggling with his belief in Santa Clause and I knew what he meant by the question. I quickly answered “Yes.” But then he pressed a little more and asked “I mean like it rings for that boy. Does it ring for you like that?” In other words do I believe in Santa Claus? I answered “Yes, Andrew. I believe in the magic of Santa Claus.” He responded “I believe in the magic and in Santa Claus,” making sure to make the distinction that I did not make. But the truth is, he really doesn’t believe in Santa. He knows it deep within himself and he is trying to hold onto the idea. It makes me sad.Honestly, I don’t mind all that much that he may be loosing his belief in the big red guy, but I dread the day he will loose the magic.
It happens to all of us at one point or another. Life turns out to be very different then we thought. Death, disappointment, loss, hurt sooner or later enters in to each of our lives and it tries its hardest to steal our innocence, our wonder, our joy.
The Polar Express helped made popular the song “Where Are You Christmas?” The lyrics, I think capture how many adults may feel:
"Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why have you gone away? Where is the laughter, you used to bring me? Why can't I hear music play? My world is changing. I'm rearranging. Does that mean Christmas changes too? Where are you Christmas? Do you remember, the one you used to know? I'm not the same one. See what the time's done. Is that why you have let me go?"
It has not let you go. The magic and wonder of childhood still exist in this life. It permeates your everyday world. You simply have to retrain your ears to hear it, your eyes to see it, your heart to feel it. This life is filled with little and large miracles. May I humbly suggest this season that you fight for your joy, that you fight for the wonder and magic, because if you don’t –this life will take it from you and it will call it maturity. This is a lie. Growing up does not mean you leave behind the magic of life, it does not mean you have to loose that fire in your belly, that passion you once felt.
Do not let the clock be your dictator. Take time for walks in the snow; observe the beauty all around you. Take time for relationships and listen deeply to know one another’s hearts. Let wonder win over reason, tap into that faith of a child that Jesus held up as standard.
8:38 PM
I think one of the reasons we lose the magic when we grow up is the added burdens of responsibility adulthood brings. When we were children our parents took care of us and we didn't have as many burdens to carry. Dependence on God, learning to give Him our burdens in prayer is a key to keeping the light heart of a child.
Growing in our relationship with God as our loving Father can bring more joy than believing in Santa.
I remember reading a book that described a persons conversion. After they believed in Christ the whole world looked different. The flowers were prettier, the trees were more amazing, the sky was bluer. Because their heart had changed everything they saw looked different. Drawing near to the Lord has that effect on a person.
Psalm 131 describes the attitude of heart I'm trying to get at.
I don't want to grow up the way most people in the world grow up. I want to stay eternally dependent on my Father. "Unless you repent and become as a little child you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." top