Subways, Shoes, and Saint Nick

Today, 6 December, is the Feast of Saint Nicholas and I swear on my "Terrible Towel" that this story is true.

I was riding the T into work and at one of the downtown stops a young couple with their two-year-old daughter boarded the train. The little girl was a blond, blue-eyed, dimple-on-the-chin cutie. At the next stop, an older gentleman, round, and short and with white hair and a white beard got on and sat in the aisle across from the little girl. Upon seeing this round, white-haired, white-bearded man the little girl locked her eyes on him intently and with a knowing stare. As I watched this unfold, and I swear this is so, the round, white-hair, white-bearded man winked ever so slightly at the little girl who smiled in return! I want to tell you I heard sleigh bells...yet, that part would not be so.

What are the odds that today, the Feast of St. Nicholas, I would witness such a moment?!?!?

Tradition holds that on the Feast of St. Nicholas children put out their shoes and St. Nick fills them with goodies. One time in the local church when December 6 was on a Sunday, we decided to surprise the kids of the church. At the start of the worship service we asked the kids to remove their shoes and take them to the back of the sanctuary. They trusted us and did so. When it came time for the "little lesson," I talked about St. Nicholas and how he actively cared for the children and especially the children in the village who were in need and were poor.

While I was waxing eloquently on the goodness of St. Nick, my elves-in-training (members of the Children's Ministry team) were in the back of the sanctuary filling each kids' shoes to overflowing with candy and gum and treats. They would have made St. Nick proud.

As the "little lesson" concluded, I told the kids that if they wanted to go and put their shoes back on they could do so or they could wait till after worship was over...their choice.

Of course, when the first kid made the decision to go and get his shoes and found them filled with candy, he loudly exclaimed, "Wow! Check it out!" Naturally, this brought every child running to the back of the sanctuary and also having similar moments of great joy come upon them. It was a huge hit!

The majority of the congregation got a kick out of it and the parents eventually forgave me.

A lesson was also learned: Frank, the awkward, shy, too-big-for-his-age kid who was often the target of the kids' teasing and whom they called "Big Foot Frank".....he was in his glory!

No doubt, St. Nick would have winked!

sj;