The other day I caught myself whispering an unrealistic secret to my heart:
“Maybe this will be the year everything goes as planned and we’ll have the perfect Christmas.”
Perfect is what I’ve always wanted for Christmas, but in all my years of living I’ve never been able to pull it off.
For me, perfect looks like peace on earth and in my home for 24 hours. A Christmas where everyone is happy and peaceful, loving and kind. No disappointments. No arguments. No debates. It’s all about Jesus and loving each other – for a whole day.
Maybe like me, you’ve longed for the perfect Christmas too. Maybe you’ve shopped for perfect gifts. Or planned a perfect menu with everyone’s favorites. Perhaps you’ve worn yourself out creating the perfect setting, where your people will gather and you’ll hold your breath hoping nothing goes wrong.
Or maybe you’re not a recovering perfectionist and wonder if I need counseling. I do. And prayer. May I come to your house for Christmas?
Honestly, sometimes I can get so focused on wanting everything to go well that I miss what is right in front of me, and forget 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 as God had planned.
This Christmas, I’ve decided to cancel my request for perfect.
I’m actually anticipating an imperfect, messy, slightly chaotic and perfectly imperfect Christmas just like the one in Bethlehem. Because PERFECT is not what my family and friends need most. What they need is for me to be “in” each moment, making memories with them.
So, instead of trying to create the perfect Christmas and give perfect gifts, I’m giving more of me. {tweet this}
Because the best Christmases are made up of memories and unplanned moments that don’t come with price tags. They can’t be bought, wrapped or put under a tree. But with a simple shift in perspective, we can create an (in)perfect Christmas by being fully present “in” each moment as we look for ways to give these 3 special gifts to the ones we’re with:
Join me over at (in)courage to keep reading today’s post by {CLICKING HERE}. I’d love to connect with you there!