12 Messes that Made My Christmas "Perfect"

12. The weekend of Thanksgiving I was swamped.  But my girls (9 and 6) were ready to decorate.  So I let them.  It kept them busy for an afternoon.  Turned out they did a great job.  I love the way they put the greenery on the banister.  Plus my eldest came up with a cool place to put our stockings above the fireplace even though we don’t have a mantel yet.  I let go of the control and the results were great.  Praise the Lord.

11.  Snow. Lots of snow.  Well, up until like the day before Christmas.  While it lasted, it forced us to take our time when we left the house.  Made my kids smile.  Very festive.  These are good things. 

10.  When I finally got the tree up, it stood there for a week with ⅓ of the lights not working.  Finally got the tree lit and brought the ornaments up from the basement.  Eddie dumped most of them on the floor before I could get around to hanging them.  That day when the girls got home from school I told them to put the ornaments on the tree.  Results = room got picked up and tree got decorated.  Double score. 

9.  My siblings and I couldn’t make a decision about gifts this year.  Exchange?  Homemade gifts?  Nothing?  While this felt a bit stressful at first, it resulted in some [hilarious] phone conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.  It allowed each of us to peer into one another’s lives and connect in a way we hadn’t in a while.  Thankful. 

8.  Somehow managed to neglect putting our nativity up.  Finally remembered like 4 days before Christmas.  This year the 3 year-old is being trusted to not destroy it, so for the first time in his life I put in down low.  This meant he could help set it up.  To my delight, he took great care with the pieces, crowding them all around baby Jesus, as they gaze upon him in wonder. 

7.  Watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas with my 3 year old almost daily.  I pulled it out at the beginning of the month and he took to it right away.  Since then he has watched it.  And then watched it again.  And again.  Good things about this:

a. Get to hear Linus orate Luke 2 in the middle of my day.
b. Eddie thinks the whole movie is hilarious, so I get a lot of 3 year-old laughter.  Always great.
c. He’s been saying “Oh Brother” just like Charlie Brown does about Sally, but about his own family.   

It cracks me up. 
d. The other day we were snuggling while watching it and I realized: these opportunities are here on a 

limited-time basis. 

6. I still had Christmas shopping to do 2 days before Christmas.  But if I didn’t, then I would miss out on the annual Finish-It-Up Shopping Trip with my Mom.  We usually spend most of a day and night scrambling to get done either the 22nd or the 23rd.  Typically there are a lot of laughs and we get some good deals.  This year was no different.  Loved it. 

5.  Never got around to putting together a Christmas card.  That was a bummer, but it’s not like I had an AMAZING picture ready to go.  We tried to do pictures of our family and/or our kids on at least 4 separate occasions.  Nothing really spoke to me.  Upshot: Probably saved a solid $50 and I’m not scrambling to use every “spare” minute to finish addressing envelopes. Plus I have some hilarious pictures of my kids. 

4.  For the first time in 4 Christmases, our family was healthy.  #4 on this list is not ironic at all.  It’s just straight up - I’m so glad no one in my immediate family vomited this year. 

3. I put about $150 worth of gifts on a credit card.  The great thing about this is that ALL THE OTHER GIFTS WERE PURCHASED WITH CASH.  This is a huge deal and, while I didn’t make it 100%, it was still groundbreaking for us.  This is the first year we really followed thru on the thing we’ve been talking about doing for the last 10 years.  I highly recommend it.  

2.  T’was the night after Christmas and my kids were up till 10.  Could be worse, but I know we will pay for it tomorrow.  The thing is, we got home, and even though my kids were exhausted, they started playing really nicely together with some of their new toys.  ALL 3 OF MY CHILDREN.  Talk about a Christmas miracle.  Husband and I looked at each other like, uh, do we break this up or just wait for the meltdowns to begin?  We opted for an escape into the bedroom with our computers, pajamas, and some uninterrupted conversation.  It was crazy!  Eventually the 3 year old came in rubbing his eyes, and I headed upstairs to get him tucked in.  The girls came up shortly after - WITHOUT ARGUING - and everyone was asleep within 20 minutes.  Tomorrow morning we may have a crabby crew, but it might be worth it for the peace on earth that existed in our house for 40 minutes tonight.  Perfect way to end our day.

1.  It’s been a really tough year.  But when relationships survive the havoc life wreaks (and pretty much all of my relationships have been sustained, by the Grace of God), those relationships come out stronger.  Those people emerge closer and more thankful for what they have sitting right in front of them.  Not for what might be waiting around the corner.  Not for what they wish for this New Year’s Eve.  They thank God for what they have and hug it tighter and love it more.  Thank you, Jesus.

The To-Do List

Today on Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa writes a devotional about being real with people about what Jesus has done in our lives.

I need to be real with Jesus today, about how unfocused I’ve become this week.

Wasn’t it only Sunday night that I joined with a large group of women from my church and relished the Christmas message? Wasn’t it just last week that we celebrated Thanksgiving and all we have to be thankful for? Shouldn’t I BE FOCUSED on what is important right now?

But I’m not. How quickly the message goes in one ear and out the other; crowded out by my to-do list. I predicted this in Sunday night’s devotional. I identified the realities that overwhelm our Christmas season and make it hard to celebrate what Christmas is all about. And just like that: I’m there.

The cell phone breaks, the oven is on the fritz, my cough won’t go away, the bank account is shrinking, there are meetings and calls to make, the girls need new clothes, the baby has a well-check appointment, and the laundry is ridiculous... my list is endless.

It’s like your list. I’m not whining about all I have to do. This is my life. I love it! I love that I have an oven and a cell phone. I love that my girls are growing and I need to find them some new clothes. I love that my baby lives in a country where I can get him vaccinated. I know Brad makes enough money to support us and our bank account will be just fine.

It’s just that... Well, it’s like the sign I saw in a store yesterday: “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” There is so much going on... so much to think about. I found last night I couldn’t go to sleep because I was still on auto-drive. And time in the Word? Ha! Not even close.

Lysa wrote something else in her devotional today:

And don't fret trying to figure out how to arrange the perfect situation… Just tell Jesus you are willing. He's very capable of handling all the details. Our job is obedience. God's job is results.

I’m glad that’s God’s job and not mine.

Lord, I am REALLY unfocused on you right now. Things are already getting a little out of hand, here and it’s only December 2. I need you to step in RIGHT NOW and get me right with you. I need to be motivated to look to you first, before I look at my to-do list every morning. I need to pray before AND after I go into Target (or whatever store), that I can be positive, responsible with our money, and a witness of your love and patience – with my kids and everyone else I interact with. Lord I know you can make these things happen. I’m handing things over to you.

Amen.

Sophie's Nativity

Tonight we got a good start on Christmas deco. We found a spot for the tree and put it together - no ornaments yet. Since they weren't going to get to decorate the tree tonight and I had 2 very excited little girls (or at least one very excited little girl and another one along for the ride), I pulled out the nativity knowing it wouldn't take hours. Bedtime was quickly approaching. Maybe we should put the nativity up first every year, so we can keep an eye on what this is all about.

Clare hasn't really grasped all of this yet - I mean, even Santa Clause. She seems a bit hesistant to believe there is a guy that comes to our house and leaves us presents. But she isn't opposed to it. You can tell she likes what she sees, and hears from Soph.

Sophie, on the other hand, is all about it. So I shouldn't have been surprised when I went off to do something else, and she comes to find me to tell me that I need to come see what she did with the nativity. "Mom, mom, mom, mom! You're going to LOVE this. Come see, come see!!"

Well, as silly as it seems to have her snowman snowglobe looking on at the true Christmas gift, who says mr. snowman shouldn't enjoy a first row seat too? Is it really any more ridiculous than having the wise men there in the barn with them? :) I'll bet Jesus loves what she's done with it.

Be Specific

Besides health and happiness, I'm thankful for

• Sophia's sense of humor and her wit.
• Clare's vocabulary: for so many reasons.
• Brad's commitment to his family.
• My amazing group of friends.
• My parent's marriage.
• Brad's parents' self-less love.
• Siblings to laugh with.
• a warm house.
• a full freezer.
• a fulfilling job.
• a purposeful life.
• a God of forgiveness and grace.
• a Savior who teaches.
• a Spirit that inspires.
• an Eternal home.