What Child Is This?

Each year our friends host a party that includes a reenactment of the Christmas story (Anna was an angel this time) and a visit from Santa. The size of the party, and resulting mass of children, varies from year to year. This year there seemed to be a LOT of kids, but maybe it was just me.

My favorite part was watching the kids, but it wasn't the nativity play that got to me. Strangely enough, my tenderest moment came during the chaos of visits with Santa. From babies to high schoolers, each child sat on Santa's lap for a picture. And they were beautiful. Every single one. I sat and marveled at the smiling, pouting, glowing faces.

And the thought occurred to me that this is the way God sees each of us.