Yesterday was my first day home since I left to go on tour, and let’s just say... I am so NOT ready for the holidays! Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest—and I try to take that commandment seriously—so late last night Steve, Abby and I put the tree up and gathered all the elves around the house (there used to be more elves and ornaments, but oh well)! 😂👍
I have found the holidays bring out a great many feelings in the human experience.... kindness, stress, surprises and fun, but we also want the holidays to be perfect. We want our homes to have perfect decorations, we want to serve perfect food, give perfect gifts and do it all without breaking a sweat. But “perfect” just doesn’t exist, and if perfect is what we shoot for during the holidays, we will be disappointed for sure. My views on perfection have evolved from a desire to learn truth... I have even studied the Bible in Hebrew because it gives a deeper meaning to the words intent than leaning on man’s interpretation of those words. I started doing this years ago when after going to a friend’s church I wondered why a certain principal was explained differently than what I had read in the King James version of the Bible. It didn’t make sense to me. I took that confusion to my Mother who simply said, “read the original meaning in the Hebrew version.” She wanted me to learn for myself and understand what God intended us to gain from His words and not man’s interpretation. What I learned about perfect is that it's “a situation as good as it is possible to be.” In other words, our definition today of the word perfect, is absolutely impossible! 😂
One of my favorite people to follow on Social Media is Brené Brown. I especially enjoyed her recent message of “the magic is in the mess” about the holidays. She reminded us that the struggle doesn’t take off for the holidays. She said, “We need to be kind with ourselves and remember that the gremlins don’t go on vacation. Checks bounce, chemotherapy appointments are scheduled, interventions are planned, relationships keep unraveling, being alone feels lonelier, parents negotiate who will have the kids on Christmas morning, and the “never enoughs” are in full swing.”
As we find ways to ease up and be kinder to ourselves we understand that our blessings AND challenges are NOT the same for each other as we celebrate this wonderful time of the year. But what is the same for all of us is we can be grateful for what we have! Even when we are facing tough times, there is always something to have gratitude for. And gratitude will always bring us joy.
If we keep focused on everything we can’t or haven’t done, it makes it very hard to remember what we have done. I did manage to buy my grandsons this darling book on the birth of Christ and gave it to them early because I couldn’t be with them Christmas Day. They made me read it over and over before I came home, I was so happy they loved it! The one act of being with them and reading to them made my Christmas perfect... ”a situation as good as it was possible to be.”
This Sunday blog has provided a way for me to be a part of your lives and I am continually touched by your beautiful comments. I am so grateful we have found each other! As usual, I’ll be away from social media until after New Year’s but my fondest wish for you all this holiday season is for it to be as good as it is possible to be! Merry Christmas!! 🎄🎁
