Dillon Community Church

I was skinning up Arapahoe Basin the other morning while thinking about Christmas to come. The sunrise was just hitting the North Pole. It was a bright light on the peak and all else was still in shadow. I thought of Santa Clause. As a little boy, I believed in Santa Clause and the North Pole. Still as a little boy, I came to the realization that Santa wasn’t a real person. Nevertheless, I was convinced there was a spirit of Santa or maybe a spirit of Christmas. I told my mother this revelation. She didn’t correct me. She just listened.

In hindsight, I see God used all the cultural Christmas celebratory traditions to point me toward the Christ. As a little tiny boy, I realized there was something big happening. And I knew it was good, even if I couldn’t understand it. God was doing something, way bigger than me, way bigger than my family, way bigger than America. It was news for the entire world; for ALL of humankind! 

This was very significant for me at the time, for by the age of 6, I had earned the nick name Terrible Tim. For various missteps, like catching the family house on fire the day after Christmas. I was already headed down a bad path. My parents said later, Tim will be very good, or he will be very bad… like go to prison bad. I liked doing bad things and didn’t feel much guilt about my escapades. But, through the Christmas season, I sensed there was something better than my adventures. God was bigger and I was drawn toward him. 

It took 18 years for God to bring me to my knees before his grace and mercy (that is another story). But this advent season, when I see a Santa, I have a warm feeling in my heart. God is using our silliness and even ignorance to draw us to Himself.

I pray all those who are near and far from God would be awestruck this advent season and want to know what/who is bigger than all of the worries of the world and able to bring truth to a world full of lies.

Peace and Grace.

Tim Morris, elder

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