December 22, 2009

I like for things to be perfect.  If I had my way, Baby Jesus would have been born in a nice temperature-controlled room, on clean smooth sheets, with a nice cozy fire in the corner fireplace, and maybe some lovely candles burning and peaceful music playing softly in the background.  Oh, and how about some nice snacks for the 3 Wise Men to munch on after their long trip; homemade of course!

That's not how it happened though, and guess what?  Things worked out like God intended, even though they didn't appear perfect to us; whatever our definition of perfect is.

I've been running and rushing around like crazy for a month, and will probably run as fast as I can to finish my To Do List before Christmas.  I've had my little holiday meltdown, and I confess to getting wigged out over things that really don't matter that much.  I'm stressed that while I take a few days off to celebrate the holidays, the work accumulating in piles on my desk at the office will grow taller and taller.  I'm thinking about this itty bitty Christmas detail or that one.  All in an effort to make things perfect.

I just have to stop right now, and give myself a little shake.  What in the world do I have to be worrying or freaking about, and why aren't I being grateful beyond words to just have this Christmas with lots of my family?  I am thankful, but I think the stress of the details can get in the way of the spirit of the season for me and lots of people.  I don't want it to be that way.

Is it going to matter if someone wants a Cream Soda on Christmas Eve, and I only bought Dr. Pepper?  Who will care if I buy the guacamole instead of making it?  Will it be the end of the world if the cat hacks up another fake Christmas tree needle hairball in front of my guests?  Nope, nope and nope.

So today, I'm reminding myself that Christmas is about the birth of the Baby Jesus, and how grateful we are for that gift.  It's about spending time with friends and family, and being thankful for that opportunity. It doesn't matter if every single little detail about the celebration isn't perfect.

Merry Christmas to you all!  Enjoy your friends and family, and don't worry about all of the teeny weeny details!

~BigSis