- TEACH THE CHILDREN - Author Unknown
ASCII art by joan stark
_
(__/_) .-'''''-.
_ | |'-----'|
/ \|ate one Christmas Eve, I sank back, |-.....-|
\__|\_ tired but content, into my | |
easy chair. The kids were in bed, the gifts | |
were wrapped, the milk and _,._ | |
cookies waited by the __.o` o`"-. | |
fireplace for Santa. .-O o `"-.o O )_,._ | |
( o O o )--.-"`O o"-.`'-----'`
'--------' ( o O o)
`----------`
As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations,
I couldn't help feeling that something |
important was missing. It wasn't \ ' /
long before the tiny, twinkling -- (*) --
tree lights lulled me to sleep. >*<
I don't know how long I slept, >0<@<
but all of a sudden I knew that >>>@<<*
I wasn't alone. >@>*<0<<<
>*>>@<<<@<<
I opened my eyes, and you can >@>>0<<<*<<@<
imagine my surprise when I saw >*>>0<<@<<<@<<<
Santa Claus himself standing >@>>*<<@<>*<<0<*<
next to my Christ- \*/ >0>>*<<@<>0><<*<@<<
mas tree. __\\U//__ >*>>@><0<<*>>@><*<0<<
|\\ | | \\| >@>>0<*<0>>@<<0<<<*<@<<
He was dressed | \\| | _(UU)_ >((*))_>0><*<0><@<<<0<*<
all in fur from |\ \| || / //||.*.*.*.|>>@<<*<<@>><0<<<
his head to his |\\_|_|&&_// ||*.*.*.*|_\\db//__
foot just as """"|'.'.'.|~~|.*.*.*| _____|_
poem described him, |'.'.'.| ^^^^^^|____|>>jgs>>|
but he was not the ~~~~~~~~ '""""`-------'
"jolly old elf" of Christmas legend. The man who stood
before me looked sad and disappointed. And there were
tears in his eyes.
____ "Santa, what's wrong?" I asked.
;` `'-._ "Why are you crying?"
/ \ /\
/` \ | ; "It's the children." Santa
/ \ | | replied sadly.
/ `\ | |
/ \_ / | "But Santa, the children love
; / `\ | you." I said.
,|_ __ \__/ |
_\_o/_( |_ "Oh, I know they love me, and
/`"=/\==""=="=="=="=="`\ they love the gifts I bring
| )/ | them," Santa said, "but the
\ / children of today seem to
/';=""==""==""==""==";`\ have somehow missed out on
| /` /~\ /~\ `\ | the true spirit of Christmas.
| \ _ \o/ \o/ _ / | It's not their fault. It's
\ ; (_) ` o (_) ; / just that the adults,
/ |\_.-""(__)""-._/| \ many of them not having
| \ /\ / | been taught themselves,
/ '.___.' '.___.' \ have forgotten to teach
| ,==, | the children."
| ' ' |
\ / "Teach them what?" I asked.
| |
\ / Santa's kind old face became
'. .' soft, more gentle. His eyes
jgs '-.__ __.-' began to shine with something
'---'--'---' more than tears. He spoke softly.
"Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas.
Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear,
and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the
symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas
which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly
represent."
| Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a
\|/ tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle.
\\|// "Teach them about the Christmas tree.
\\\Y/// Green is the second color of Christmas.
\\\|/// The stately evergreen,
\\\\Y//// with it's unchanging color,
\\\\|//// represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus.
`\\Y//` It's needles point heavenward as a reminder
`#` that man's thoughts should turn
__#__ heavenward as well."
[_ _]
\___/ Santa reached into his bag again
and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at
the top of the small tree. * ' . .
"The star was the heavenly sign . | .
of promise. God promised a Savior \ | / +
for the world and the star was * \|/
the sign of the fulfillment of --==> * <==-- '
that promise on the night that + /|\ .
Jesus Christ was born. . / | \
Teach the children that God . ' | ' *
always fulfills his promises, |
and that wise men still seek Him." . ' .
"Red," said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas."
He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree.
____ "Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the
.' '. color of the life-giving blood that flows
/ # \_ through our veins. It is the symbol of
| {_{c} God's greatest gift. Teach the children
\ / `\ that Christ gave his life and shed his
'.____.' (__) blood for them that they might have
eternal life. When they see the color
red it should remind them of that most wonderful gift."
Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on
the tree. "Just as lost sheep are guided ,
to safety by the sound of the bell, it /\`--.
continues to ring today for all to be |o-| )D
guided to the fold. Teach the children \/.--'
to follow the true Shepherd, who gave
His life for the sheep."
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The
soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room.
"The glow of the candle represents how man
( can show his thanks for the gift of God's
,=(,)=, son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach
|'==='| _, the children to follow in Christ's
| |,)/( footsteps. To go about doing good.
| |)/<_, Teach them to let their light so
>>>\, _/<8<-_/ shine before men that all may see
>>>>>>oo<<)\( it and glorify God. This is what
>>>>>>o<<<\/ is symbolized when the twinkle lights
shine on the tree like hundreds of
bright, shining candles, each of them representing
one of God's precious children, their light shining
for all to see."
Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he
brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane.
As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly.
"The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. _._
White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless /\|/\
nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the /\/ )-|
Solid Rock, the foundation of the church, and /\/ `"
the firmness of God's promises. The candy cane /\/
is in the form of a "J" to represent the /\/
precious name of Jesus, who came to earth /\/
as our Savior. It also represents the /\/
crook of the Good Shepherd, which He uses `"
to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out
the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
The original candy cane had three small red stripes,
which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by
which we are healed, and a large red stripe that
represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have
the promise of eternal life.
Teach these things to the children."
,....,
,;;:o;;;o;;, Santa brought out a beautiful wreath
,;;o;'''''';;;;, made of fresh, fragrant greenery and
,;:;; ;;o;, tied with a bright red bow. "The bow
;o;; ;;;; reminds us of the bond of perfection,
;;o; ;;o; which is love." "The wreath embodies
';;;, _ _ ,;;;' all the good things about Christmas
';o;;/_\/_\;;o;' for those with eyes to see and hearts
';;\_\/_/;;' to understand. It contains the colors
'//\\' of red and green and the heaven-turned
jgs // \\ needles of the evergreen. The bow tells
|/ \| the story of good will towards all and
its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice.
Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and
the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a circle,
without beginning and without end.
These are the things you must teach the children."
"But where does that leave you Santa?" I asked.
The tears gone now from his eyes,
a smile broke over Santa's face.
"Why bless you, my dear," he laughed,
"I'm only a symbol myself. I represent the
_... spirit of family fun and the
o_.-"` `\ joy of giving and receiving.
.--. _ `'-._.-'""-; _
.' \`_\_ {_.-a"a-} _ / \ If the children are
_/ .-' '. {c-.-o-.){\|` | taught these other things
(@`-._ / \{ `~^~`} \\ _/ there is no danger that
`~\ '-._ /'. } \} .-. I'll ever be forgotten."
|>:< '-.__/ '._,} \_/ / ())
| >:< `'---. ____'-.|(`"` "I think I'm
\ >:< \\_\\_\ | ; beginning to understand
\ \\-{}-\/ \ at last." I replied.
\ '._\\' /)
'. /( "That's why I came,"
'97 `-._ _____ _ _____ __.'\ \ said Santa. "You're an
jgs / \ / \ / \ \ \ adult. If you don't
_.'/^\'._.'/^\'._.'/^\'.__) \ teach the children these
,==' `---` '---' '---' ) things, then who will?"
`"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""`
:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.
