Believing

‘Tis the season of mystery, wonder, and faith

by

Sara Fichtner

Photo by Gareth Harper on Unsplash

“Do your kids still believe?” The question bubbles up often during the Christmas season at parties, school concerts, or over coffee with other parents. How do you “handle” Santa Claus or Elf on the Shelf (or the Tooth Fairy)? Traditions range from simply hanging stockings to elaborate treasure hunts that kids look forward to every year. We laugh about plans gone awry, and the sweetness of kids' inquisitive minds and detective skills.

My Santa Claus strategy is diversion. I change the subject, and don’t admit or deny anything. Full stockings appear on the chimney on Christmas morning, but it’s almost an afterthought. Whatever my kids know about Santa they learned from friends, books, or movies. I appreciate those that lean into wonder, like The Polar Express and Klaus.

We know that Santa Claus is not the reason for the season. But I also know that mystery and wonder are real, and I don’t want to take that away from anyone, especially children.

My Filipina mother didn’t grow up with the same Santa tradition as many American kids, so my parents took a similar approach in my childhood. They didn’t elaborate on St. Nick, but on Christmas morning, my brother and I would get up early and tiptoe to the fireplace to see what treats had arrived in the night.

Eventually, I figured out my dad filled the stockings instead of the man in the big red suit. I didn’t say anything though. Instead, on Christmas Eve, I set out peanut butter cookies, my dad’s favorite, and our Christmas morning ritual continued into my high school days.

I’ve always held tight to mystery and wonder.

At Mass as a kid, I would take my mother’s hand and bring her wedding ring straight up to my eye. I’d stare into the precious stones imagining another world inside. I couldn’t quite see people, but I would envision life and adventure as if I were Lucy entering the wardrobe and traversing into Narnia.

My Narnia smelled of incense and candles. Its backlight filtered through stained glass images of the saints. In the background, stories were read aloud – Bible stories of prophets, Jesus, and the disciples. For years, I thought the characters were imaginary. I assumed that Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem weren’t here on Earth, but rather, in another world among the stars.

Eventually, I learned geography and history. The mystery was solved and over time imagination took a back seat. But last year, Jesus’ words in John’s gospel struck me profoundly. “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29 NIV).

After reading the verse, I started to hear it everywhere – at work, Mass, spiritual direction, and conversations with friends. It was as if Jesus himself was saying to me, “Remember to believe, Sara!”

Believing in what we can’t see or explain requires surrender, and as we get older, surrender gets harder. We don’t want to be naive. We want to prove things down to the bare bones. It’s different than turning a blind eye or sitting in ignorance. Even Thomas asked to touch Jesus’ wounds.

Believing without knowing every single thing requires grace and faith.

Sometimes we need to return to the best teachers – children. When we see the awe in their eyes, we remember the joy and hope of belief. Wonder, mystery, and belief can go hand in hand. The work of God is this. We understand the promise.

Believing in the one he has sent reminds us that we don’t have to figure out everything ourselves. God came to us! He is the reason for all seasons.

Sara Fichtner is a Hoosier-Filipina writer, reader, and cultural enthusiast navigating the in-between spaces and encouraging connection. “In the Mix with Sara” is her quarterly Substack with writing and resources on connecting through culture. Sara and her husband have two sons and serve as short-term immigrant foster parents.

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