Miracle In Gatlinburg Tennessee

There were few things I was sure of as a ten year old.

1. Zebra cakes were God's gift to the world.

2. My brothers were always wrong. And in turn, I was always right.

And the thing I knew, down to the very pit of my soul-

3. Santa Claus was real. And he could, if you were good enough, bring any present to your house, no matter how difficult it was to make.

Limited Too sparkly pink phone?

Done. The elves could do that with their eyes closed.

A desk that had little mailbox compartments that I could sit at and pretend I was a real grown up writer?

Not a problem. That was child's play.

All of these gifts could get down my chimney, and Santa Claus would still have enough time to enjoy some sugar cookies and milk, and Rudolph could turn off his nose for a few minutes and gnaw on a carrot.

I believed.

My faith was great.

I even got in a fist fight in fifth grade with a boy who sat next to me in class because he tried to convince me that I didn't hear reindeer hooves on my roof.

You better believe I did.

And sure, I know now that 10 years old was still a little old to believe in Santa Claus.

But how could you not, when all the evidence made it so clear that he existed?

One year, right before Christmas, my family and I went to Gatlinburg Tennessee ( home of Dolly Parton y'all) and in true Johnson family style, could not leave this tourist paradise without partaking in the local craft fair.

Now as an adult, I don't believe in love at first sight, but I think that day, in the Gatlinburg conference center, I got as close as I'll ever come.

As soon as I laid eyes on this doll, I knew she had to be mine.

She had chunky cheeks ( just like me!)

She had brown eyes (just like me!)

She had dimples ( just like me!)

She had angel wings...well, close enough.

She was perfect in every way. But there was only one problem.

Christmas was 3 days away.

And I had already sent my list into Santa.

And my parents would not buy the doll.

I was distraught.

I cried.

I pouted.

I ate my feelings in Little Debbies.

But as I wiped the crumbs of the Zebra Cake off my tear streaked cheeks, I came to a sudden realization.

Santa can do anything.

Even get the elves to make a doll that I just fell in love with only 72 hours before Christmas.

He sees me when I'm sleeping.

He knows when I'm awake.

So he must also have his eyes on local craft fairs too.

And when I woke up on Christmas morning, and found that perfect doll all wrapped under the Christmas tree, I was sure of something else.

If anyone ever tried to tell me there wasn't a Santa Claus ever again, I would give him a bloody lip, and then show him this doll.

Because that doll was proof.

Sometimes, I think our relationship with God is like that.

We see situations that are completely impossible, but somehow we still manage to hold on to faith that God can give us our greatest desires.

Take Abraham for example.

He was over 100 years old.

So was his wife Sarah.

Her womb was barren.

They had no children.

But when God promised him that he was going to be the "father of many nations" he still had faith, even though, looking at the situation, it seemed highly unlikely.

And although Abraham and Sarah had probably had a ton of problems getting pregnant before, and all of his friends were probably already great great great grandfathers at this point, he held firm to his belief.

¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:19-21)

Even in the most unlikely of situations, Abraham held firm in his faith, and because of that faith, was given what God promised him.

But it didn't come right away.

He had to wait a little bit.

But this time of waiting was used for something more important.

This time of waiting was used to grow his faith.

This heartbreak and shame was used to grow his faith.

How often do we lose faith because something isn't going the way we want it?

Because we're not happy in our job?

Or because that perfect man is taking too long to come along?

How often do we allow our faith to waver, even though we know God has the best laid plans in store for us.

How much better would our walks be, if instead of looking at these trials as something to grit our teeth and bear through, we looked at it as a chance to allow our faith to grow?

A chance to let God truly do amazing work that only He could do?

How much stronger would our faith be if instead of complaining, we held firm to the promises given to us by a God that is incapable of breaking promises?

How much stronger would our faith be if we knew that if we are patient enough, we will get through that trial, not only with what has been promised to us, but a faith that much stronger because of it

Sometimes, you don't get that perfect doll wrapped under the Christmas tree right away.

But the promises of the Almighty God are completely worth the wait.