Sunday, December 8, 2013

Seeing is Not Believing - Believing is Seeing

The Santa Clause
Seeing is Not Believing – Believing  is Seeing



If you have read my Pixie Pranks blog post for today you have read the first part of this post. I’m posting on both my Pixie Pranks about The Santa Clause today and the first part is for those who have never seen the movie.

The Santa Clause is a story about a broken family being restored. It is about a man finding out who he really is inside and changing to fit.

At the beginning Scott Calvin, divorced father of one is a self-centered jerk who does not care what lies he tells or who he hearts as long has he is happy. That includes his young son, Charlie and ex-wife, Laura.

It’s Christmas Eve and Laura’s new husband, Neal Miller has told Charlie that Santa is not real. Charlie is trying to come to grips with the new “reality” and in truth does not want to stay with his father for Christmas.

After time spent ignoring each other while dinner burns and eating out it is story time and time for sleep. Scott reads “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to Charlie. Not long after Charlie hears a “Clatter” on the roof and wakes dad to go check on it. Charlie is sure Santa is on the roof.

Scott finds ”Santa Claus” on the roof! He calls out to the man on the roof asking what he is doing there. Santa is startled and falls off the roof, “dies” and disappears, leaving behind his Santa Suit. Charlie comes out of the house to see what is going on and accuses his dad of killing Santa! Then he sees a ladder and climes up onto the roof. There he finds Santa’s sleigh and reindeer.

Before Santa disappeared Scott checked for ID and found a card that says, “If something should happen to me, put on my suit. The reindeer will know what to do.” Once Scott sees the sleigh he is confused and climes up the ladder to get Charlie out of the sleigh. Charlie refuses to get out and wants his dad to put on the suit. This starts a night of going house to house with the reindeer directing where they go. Fireplace or heater vent pipe Scott, in the Santa Suit goes down.

In the morning Scott, while still in the sleigh thinks it is all a dream and tells the reindeer to take him “home”. Instead of his condo they take him to the North Pole where he meets the elves for the first time. He can not believe his eyes! He denies what is happening!

Bernard, the head elf tells Scott that he is the new Santa and that by putting on the suit and getting into the sleigh he agreed to the Santa Clause. Not Claus but Clause as in the last line of a legal contract! This agreement makes him the new Santa until either by accident or choice he no longer has the suit. Scott still things he is dreaming or crazy. Scott is also told by Judy that “Seeing is not beliving, beliving is seeing.” Scott is told to rest in Santa’s bed that he has 11 months to get his affairs in order before he is officially on duty as Santa.

Scott wakes up in his bed Christmas morning in the PJs that Judy, the elf gave him! He is confused because he still considers his time at the North Pole just a dream. Charlie starts talking about the time at the North Pole and Scott is just more confused and stressed. When Laura and Neal come to pick up Charlie they are concerned by Charlie’s re-found belief in Santa. They are even more concerned by the fact Charlie is totally sure his dad is the New Santa and he spent Christmas Eve helping deliver presents and seeing the North Pole!

The story picks up a few months later, Scott has been called to the Miller’s house to discuss Charlie’s behavior. He is singing Christmas Carols in the summer and pretending to be practicing driving Santa’s sleigh! Scott sees no big concern about Charlie believing in Santa and blows it off. Scott still does not believe that what happened was real and tells Charlie it was all just a nice dream.

A few months more go on and it is fall. Charlie has both his dad and Neal come to speak at Career Day at school. Charlie picks his dad to speak first. He tells everybody in his class that his dad is Santa Claus. He after telling the class about their adventure Christmas Eve Charlie shows a snow globe to the class and tells them it was given to him by the head elf, Bernard. Now Scott has to defend his son’s belief or right to believe in Santa to the principal as well as Laura and Neal.

Soon Scott’s physical appearance starts to change. His hair turns from dark brown to gray and he grows a beard he can’t get rid of. He gains weight but his health is unaffected. Strange kids just walk up to him and call him Santa and give him their wish list. Scott still does not believe he is Santa. They even line up to talk to him.

Laura and Neal Miller, having great concerns about Charlie’s mental health go to court and take full custody of Charlie and get an order keeping Scott from seeing him until after Christmas when the judge can make a final decision.

On Thanksgiving Day Scott shows up at the Miller’s house unannounced and unwelcomed. He tries once again to convince Charlie he is not Santa and to let it all go. He says he would rather be able to be with his son that to be Santa. Charlie tells him that he (Charlie) can’t be that selfish and he is worried about all the other children in the world.

While they are talking Laura and Neal step aside to have a conversation and Bernard the elf shows up convincing Scott once and for all that last Christmas Eve was real! Charlie asks if he can go with his dad. Scott starts to say he should stay with his mom but Bernard sees no reason he can’t go. When Laura and Neal come back into the room Scott and Charlie are gone! For the next month there is a search for Charlie but it is to no avail. Once during this time Charlie calls his mother and lets her know he is safe and at the North Pole. Of course nobody believes it.

Christmas Eve, while delivering toys with Charlie Scott/Santa stops at the Miller home to drop off gifts that Charlie made for them. While there he is caught by the police and locked up! Charlie and a special force of Elves free Santa. Scott and Charlie go back to the Miller home to finish leaving the gifts for them. Charlie comes in to see his mom and Scott says he should stay with her. They make an agreement that Charlie can see Scott on Christmas Eve and he would stay with the Miller’s most of the other time. Scott can come and visit Charlie whenever he wants! Laura burns the custody papers.

The police show up, sure that Scott will show up at the Miller’s house. They show up after Laura papers. They search for Scott but he has gone up the chimney and is now flying off in his sleigh. Scott swoops down low over the police and gathered crowd wishing them all a Merry Christmas and Good Night.

Shortly after Charlie is missing his dad. He shakes the snow-globe that Bernard gave him and Santa returns to visit and after asking permission takes Charlie on a ride in the sleigh leaving Laura yelling, “Not over any oceans Scott!!”

What I love about this movie is the re-building of the family. Charlie and his dad are totally apart until Scott becomes Santa. Scott turns from being selfish to caring about others more than himself.

Now for the Biblical point from this movie.

Seeing is NOT Believing. Believing IS Seeing.

Simply put you can’t believe in God just because you “SEE”. You need to have faith to see. No matter what miracle you see with your eyes you will not believe unless your heart is open and willing to believe.

Many people see amazing things and discount them. Others see a miracle in every little thing. I believe the truth is in not what you see but what you believe. In The Santa Clause Scott is told by Bernard and Judy that children believe in Santa and the North Pole without seeing. The same is true for faith in God/Jesus Christ. You either believe or you don’t. Faith can not be forced.

Here are some verses that show the power of faith:

A woman with health issues believes that if she just touches the hem of Jesus’ robe she will be healed. By faith she reaches out and touches Jesus’ hem and was healed instantly. Matthew 9:20-22

A father of a child with a demon asks Jesus to help. Jesus said if he had faith the child would be ok. The father responded by saying he had the faith and then followed with “Lord help my unbelief.” Mark 9:23-24
This tells me even when we can’t believe God can help. Just as Charlie help Scott believe he was Santa.

I believe we need to be like children. Not childish but childlike having a heart open to believing in the amazing and impossible. Once we have that childlike heart we will have our eyes opened. Truly, Seeing is not believing, believing is truly seeing!

I pray your heart and eyes are opened this holiday season.

Merry Christmas!!!









My Christmas book, “An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas” is available!!
This is a collection of 26 short Christmas stories that together bring the amazing events of Christ’s birth alive. It is my hope that this will help encourage families to spend 10-15 minutes a day together during the busy holiday season remembering the true reason for the season.
You can find it for ALL eReader formats and PDF at:

For your Nook the link is:

It is also available at the iTunes book store and many other ebook seller sites.
The only big site not carrying my book is Amazon.
You can download a Kindle version from Smashwords.com



No comments:

Post a Comment