Amy Grant later did a cover of this song for one of her Christmas albums but with alternate lyrics.
This song is also known as "My Grown-Up Christmas List." Now, I don't mean to suppress this song or its contributing composers... but who are we to claim that that's our wish list? In reminiscence of the true reason for the season, this list analogically reflects the reason why we have Christmas. It's why God sent Jesus Christ to earth as one of us (John 3:16-17) -- to suffer with and for us.
A few unrealistic aspects removed from the song before coming to my conclusion:
Until Jesus returns and the world as we know it comes to an end, wars will always be present on this planet as long as humans live in it. And with a list of real-life situations that are addressed to a fictional Santa Clause, I'm going to pretend this list is written to God. Because this is my blog and I can do that. So I think it's safe to also assume that nobody sits on God's knee. Not even Jesus.
Aside from these references in the song, it shows that the world has problems bigger than what can be humanly fixable. And the world knows it. God saw it coming, so that's almost why Jesus came. His birth is why we have Christmas. But those who call themselves Christians should know as well that we were called to love (I Corinthians 13). God won't fix all of our mess-ups, but He definitely gives us the strength to do what needs to be done when we choose to do it (I'd attempt to explain the process, but that's a whole other blog post). So when someone needs a friend... or when right needs to win... who is going to make that happen?
With that said, I ask again... who am I to say that this is my Christmas list when it's actually God's?
Grown-Up Christmas List
Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown up now
Can you still help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up
Christmas list
What is this illusion called
The innocence of youth
Maybe only in their blind belief
Can we ever find the truth
There'd be no more lives torn apart
And wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list
This is my only lifelong wish
This is my grown-up Christmas list
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