‘Twas the rush before Christmas, when all through the house,
I was stirring like crazy trying to wrap my wife’s blouse.
The stockings were crooked, the house was disjointed,
If Santa were to come, he’d be very disappointed.
The children were restless and not in their beds,
While visions of gaming systems pixelated in their heads.
And Mom in her nightie, and I in my sweats –
We have too much to do, and there’s no time to rest.
When out on the lawn I heard such a clatter,
My manger blew over, our decorations did scatter.
Away to the window I ran like a gazelle,
Grabbed onto the handle, I slipped and nearly fell.
The moon was reflecting on the fresh, fallen snow,
And I realized I was too busy to go and snow blow.
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
It was Santa, his sleigh, and a bunch of smelly reindeer.
I rubbed my eyes out of complete disbelief,
As St. Nick stood before me, and he was holding my wreath.
He said, “I knocked this thing off when I landed my sleigh.”
Apologetic, yet smiling, he continued to say,
“You’ve been awfully busy and can’t find the time
To take care of yourself – and that is a crime.
You’ve forgotten what’s important at this time of the year,
To prepare for the Christ: He is coming, He is near.
You’ve fallen into the trap of running crazy each day,
Instead of helping others, those you meet along the way.
You must find Jesus in others, to treat all with love,
To bring joy to your neighbor and to pray to God above.
There’s still time to change, it’s never too late,
You can slow things down and you don’t have to wait.”
I answered, “But how? There’s so much to do!”
He bellowed, “It’s easy, and it all starts with you.
Pray for the strength to look far, deep within,
To transform your mind and forget where you’ve been.
Look for the good in others and you’ll find peace in your heart,
Serve one another, that’s a good place to start.
Be the best you can be, as God made you to be good,
Love every person, and love as you should.
But you need to slow down, or you’ll miss what’s to come,
The birth of the Savior – Emmanuel, the Son.
So be alert and be ready, please affirm with a nod,
Because the goal of Advent is to become closer to God.
When you have ears to hear and eyes to see,
You will recognize the Lord, wherever you may be.”
I said, “Santa, you’ve given me much to take in,
I’m thankful, I’m grateful, I’ll look deep within;
To see the Lord in others, to experience him all days,
To ponder, to pray, to follow his ways.”
He gave me a grin, for he knew I’d do my part,
For you cannot experience Christmas unless you make room in your heart.
He sprang back to his sleigh, to his reindeer he did shout,
And away he took off, and I wanted to pout.
But I heard him exclaim as he flew on his sled,
“Merry Christmas to all. Now hurry, off to bed!”
This is my adaptation of that beloved holiday classic. Check out the original words to the poem here:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43171/a-visit-from-st-nicholas
Check out another holiday post from Deacon Allen: Announcing a Birth.
