The Santa Claus SyndromeAs a child, I remember sleeping by the fireplace on Christmas Eve in hopes that I would catch Santa Claus squeeze his way down the chimney without getting a speck of black soot on his red velvet suit and without breaking my new Nintendo on the way down. Though my house had 4 doors, many windows, and a garage, I assumed that the chimney was the only way Santa could deliver. Despite practically sleeping in the fireplace through Christmas morning, I never caught Santa Claus come down the chimney, eat the Oreo cookies, or drink the 8-hour old milk. Somehow...some other way, my presents found their way under the tree.

In life, we limit the way the Universe can deliver its gifts to us. Many of us have our own 5-year plan...you know...the get married by 30, house by 35, and multi-millions by 40 plan. We assume that we're going to get what we want, the way we want it, exactly when we want it. By doing so we limit all the possible ways our good can come to us just like a child limits all of the possible ways Santa Claus can deliver its gifts.

I call it the Santa Claus Syndrome and the Chimney Constraint. The Chimney Constraint occurs when a person erroneously expects big gifts from God to fit down their own narrow planned path. While we stare at the chimney with our backs to the tree, mad that Santa has yet to come, little do we know that our gifts are already under the tree awaiting us. We must recognize that everything is in-possible to the universe and the channels (opportunities, people, information, etc) by which God can reach us are infinite. Be careful what you wish for; the Universe will always give you exactly what you ask for, though it may come later than expected, perhaps an after-Christmas sale. Step back from the chimney and observe the gifts already sitting under the highly decorated tree that is you.

Mary Christ-Mass Eve!