Here I am sitting all alone on Christmas morning, waiting for my family to wake up to open the presents that I stood wrapping tirelessly for hours the other night. My body is tired, but my heart is happy, and I can’t help but smile. While I love scrolling through Facebook and Instagram peering into the lives of perfect families and perfect Christmas parties, I sit here looking at my own kitchen and wondering why I don’t ever get those “perfect” family pictures to share with the world. Then I look around at my dirty stove that didn’t get cleaned and realize that exhausted me just couldn’t do one more thing before crashing into bed last night. Then it hit me…I realized that the stove top is dirty from the cookies I baked this week and from the amazing steak dinner that my husband cooked for me and we shared together last night in the quiet house that we had for about one hour…and I smiled.
Late into the Christmas Eve, the kids started showing up one by one and soon the chaos began. Laughter and shrieks accompanied stories and catching up and playing video games and so much more. A pizza in the oven after midnight and finally some much needed sleep. The tree lights are unplugged from the wall with one body fast asleep on the couch and the the tree skirt is in a wad under the tree from the dogs playing a game of chase and using the tree as a safety post. The pile of presents is eagerly waiting to be ripped open once the gang wakes up, and the stockings are stuffed and ready. Again, my body was exhausted, but my heart – full. Crazy, imperfect family, but perfect Christmas Eve.
The First Christmas….Imperfect Yet So Perfect
This chaos reminds me of the first Christmas. The baby born in a stable, no room in the Inn, so much chaos surrounding this first Christmas Eve. And then the baby was born. The baby that would save the world from sin. Yes, that crazy Christmas Eve brought about the perfect gift for all, the birth of the Messiah! For that I am thankful, for that I will smile.
Imperfect Family – the Perfect Christmas Blessing
My imperfect family makes me realize just how blessed I am. I have so much to be thankful for. I cannot post “perfect” family pictures because perfect is not what I was called to be. It’s through the imperfections that I can see that God is working in each one of my children’s lives in such different ways. I’m thankful to have a husband who knows what true love is and has so much to give. We have a life that is so not perfect, but we have love and each other and a family that makes us smile. The memories we have made along that way make living life possible. I am proud to say that I am part of this imperfect family and though it’s exhausting and not for one minute do I ever have my act together, all of that is what makes for the perfect Christmas. Because of my imperfect family and that first imperfect Christmas Eve, I realize that I am perfectly blessed and this will again be the Perfect Christmas. And THAT makes Sam Smile!
