Harley is the quintessential BOY—rough and tumble, fall down, get up and don’t complain or cry. He’s a hard worker with a sweet disposition and the best of intentions.

 

Three years ago, someone who loves Harley a lot saw to it that Santa mailed him a personal letter right before Christmas. Here’s the accounting of that letter’s delivery and reading:

 

Loved, loved, loved Santa’s letter to Harley…our lovable little SPIDERMAN ON STEROIDS. His kindergarten teacher uses the green, yellow, orange and red system and Harley’s had a colorful year so far.

 

His letter from Santa arrived today. His big sister Kendall is one of the best readers in first grade so she read the letter aloud to him, their mom and Honey (grandma)

 

When she read, “I hear you have been exceptionally good this year, Harley,” she stopped, looked up at her mom and said, “WHAT”????

 

Then she read, “I hear you have been really good this year especially in your kindergarten class…Mrs. Claus & I are very proud…keep up the good work”. She paused again and said, “WHAT”????

 

This was repeated two or three more times…and we’ve laughed all evening.

 

Harley just stood there grinning from ear to ear…as grace rained down…thankful, no doubt, to hear what a good boy Santa thought he’d been.

 

Kendall was rightfully perplexed—it can be awfully confusing when we know the other person’s back story, and God still rains down his amazing grace—in spite of it all.

 

 

“You have heard the law that says,

 

‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.

 

But I say, love your enemies!

 

Pray for those who persecute you!

 

In that way,

 

you will be acting as true children

 

of your Father in heaven.

 

For he gives his sunlight

 

to both the evil and the good,

 

and he sends rain on the just

 

and the unjust alike.

 

Matthew 5:43-45