A Perfectly Imperfect Christmas

“Maybe this will be the year everything goes as planned, and we’ll have the perfect Christmas.” I thought. Perfect is what I’d always wanted for Christmas, but in all my years of living I have never been able to pull it off.

Perfect looks like peace on earth and in my home for twenty-four hours. A Christmas where everyone is happy and peaceful, loving and kind. No disappointments. No arguments. No debates. Everybody is all about Jesus and loving each other — for a whole day. Sounds like heaven on earth, doesn’t it?

Maybe you’ve longed for the perfect Christmas, too. Maybe you’ve shopped for perfect gifts. Planned the perfect menu with everyone’s favorites. And worn yourself out creating the perfect space where your people will gather and you’ll hold your breath hoping nothing goes wrong.

Some years I’ve gotten so focused on wanting everything to go just right that I missed the good stuff that was right in front of me and forgot just how beautiful imperfect can be.

Jesus was the most perfect Gift ever given, yet He was given to us under the most imperfect conditions, just like God planned.

This year I’m anticipating a messy, slightly unpredictable, and perfectly imperfect Christmas just like the one in Bethlehem. Perfect is not what my family needs from me. What they need and want is for me to be present in every moment and memory we make – together!