One of my earliest Christmas memories was not a particularly good one. I was raised by a single immigrant parent whose family of origin didn’t celebrate Christmas. Sure there was gift giving and maybe even a tree but there was no Santa and certainly no talk of Jesus.

I don’t know exactly how old I was but I remember my first awareness of Santa. I remember how excited the kids at school were that Santa was coming. I saw the cartoons, Santa was a big jolly stranger who came magically down a chimney, out through the fireplace, and left presents under the Christmas tree. It was too good to be true and yet, I remember the hope and excitement I felt that Santa would be coming to my house too. And then panic hit. We didn’t have a fireplace!

So on Christmas Eve, after leaving a plate of cookies, a box of Smarties (an extra special treat for Santa because this would be his first visit to my house), a glass of milk and a carrot for Rudolph, I unlocked the front door so that Santa could still get in despite the absence of a fireplace. Of course I didn’t tell my mother any of this. She didn’t see the goodies I left out because I hid it on a small table beside the tree. And as my mom did every night, she locked the front door.

When I got up on Christmas morning there were no presents under the tree other than the ones that were there the night before. The cookies, milk and carrot were still there. Even the Smarties were still there! I ran to the door and sure enough it was locked! How could she do this to me? How could my mother lock Santa out of the house?

I was miserable. My mother was confused. It was not a nice Christmas.

I suppose it was easier to blame my mom for my profound disappointment, but what was a kid who wanted more presents to do?

At whatever tender age I was at the time, I learned the truth about Santa. I also learned that when we put our hope in the wrong things we are often disappointed, even hurt.

Years later, I would come to understand that Christmas was never meant to carry the weight I had placed on it as a child. Santa could never deliver the kind of hope my heart was really longing for. That kind of hope doesn’t come wrapped in shiny paper or depend on chimneys, unlocked doors, or perfect circumstances.

Scripture tells us that “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). That light came not with spectacle or fanfare, but quietly—in the cry of a newborn laid in a manger. God chose to meet the world not with power, but with presence. Not with excess, but with love.

The babe in the manger reminds us that real hope is near, accessible, and faithful. This hope does not disappoint us or disappear when life is hard. It is steady. It is compassionate. It is Emmanuel—God with us (Matthew 1:23).

At Christmas, and in every season, we are invited to place our hope not in what might let us down, but in the One who never will. Our hope is found in Jesus—born in humility, given in love, and still holding us close today.

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If you are still wondering where you might belong this Christmas Eve, you are warmly invited to join us at Amberlea for our Family Christmas Eve Service at 7:00 pm. It is a service for all ages—full of hope, story, song, and the gentle reminder that God is with us.

Additional parking is available along Strouds Lane and across the street at the Amberlea Shopping Center, and yes—there is room at the inn 😉. Come as you are. Bring your questions, your hopes, your weariness, and your joy. You will be welcomed, held close, and reminded once again that our hope is found in the babe in the manger.

We would love to celebrate Christmas with you.

Merry Christmas!!