I will NEVER buy an Elf on the Shelf.
At least that’s what I would have told you four years ago.
For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why I’d intentionally torture myself trying to create all of these elf adventures when I was already exhausted from the holidays. Plus, shouldn’t my boys be good because it’s the right thing to do, not because an inanimate doll “watches” them? I mean, let’s be honest, that’s kinda creepy.
But then one night a friend with adult children started talking about all of her family’s wonderful elf memories and how she sometimes longs for the magic of childhood Christmas again, and much like the Grinch, my heart started to thaw as I reconsidered all of my elf-loathing.
Within 24 hours, I had purchased an elf. Granted, I still maintained the tiniest bit of cynicism about the whole thing, which is why I named our elf Joe. See, I figure in a few years, I can tell the boys, “Joe mama was the one moving that thing around at night.” What can I say—middle school humor is my jam.
Anyway, now that Joe has been with us for a few years, he’s grown on me and is truly one of the family. He’s like that long-distance cousin we only see around the holidays but talk about all year long.
A few days after Christmas this year, I was feeling a little down, and no joke, I realized it was because I missed Joe. Not so much the pressure to make him do fun things, mind you, but the feelings that came with him.
I missed waking up to the magic that Joe brought every morning. I missed watching the boys hunt for him, working together with giggles and awe. And I especially missed hearing them brainstorm how he must have gotten to his new location. To hear them tell it, Joe can do better stunts that Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible.
Even when Joe didn’t move—and let’s face it, there was a time or two when he didn’t, thanks to some unsavory behavior—the boys still believed in his magic, promising Joe and us they’d be better behaved going forward.
I think that’s what I like most about Joe. He always offered the boys the chance of a fresh start. Yes, there were consequences for poor choices, but there was also the hope of forgiveness at the start of a new day.
What’s funny is that God does the same exact thing for us. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us “because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
In a way, God is our very own Elf on the Shelf 365 days a year. (Bet you never thought you’d read that sentence!)
But think about it—every morning when we wake up, God is waiting for us, ready to help us face the day. The good news is we don’t have to look all over the place to find Him. That’s because “the Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). God is always right here with us, no searching required. He wants us to delight in Him, and He wants to celebrate over us.
I hope all of us can begin waking up like the boys do with Joe, full of the same kind of excitement, wondering what blessings God has in store for us. Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about the past; God is focused on making things new. Even when we mess up, which is bound to happen, God stays close, longing to guide us down the right path (Isaiah 43:18-19).
So, whether you’re pro-elf or not so much, one thing remains true—God watches over each one of us with love and forgiveness all year long.