The Perfect Christmas

I have wonderful memories of Christmas as a child.  One particularly clear memory is of the year we had blue lights (why blue?) and live greenery decorating the roof edge of our house.  Wearing Chinet paper plates for halos,  my cousins, brother, and I knelt in the blue glow and pretended to be angels worshipping the baby Jesus.  This picture of our childish, simple worship has remained in my mind over the years.

In adulthood, I've learned that  things aren't always what we hoped or planned.  High or unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment and frustration.

Christmas can fall into that category for me.  In my imagination is the "perfect Christmas" where my home is clean and beautifully decorated, the table is laden with wonderful and delicious food lovingly prepared by me, every member of our family receives just the gift he / she has been wanting, and we all feel the love.  Snow is softly falling outside, and in the glow of candlelight, our family is all together singing Christmas carols.  Picture the closing scene of "It's a Wonderful Life" or your favorite Christmas movie. 

In reality, I become overwhelmed by preparations, shopping, and to do lists.  The end result is a testy, resentful attitude.  My home is not clean or beautifully decorated.  I don't really want to cook enough food to make a table "laden."  But I do want each member of my family to receive the gift he or she needs most, whatever that may be - and it usually doesn't come in a box.

Since I'm Queen of Procrastinators, I almost always underestimate the time remaining before a deadline and how long it will take me to accomplish the necessary tasks.  This year, I thought I had 3 weeks left, only to realize that Christmas is just 2 weeks away!  And so.... I write.

Holidays, and especially Christmas, can be times of stress, family discord, unmet expectations, sadness and depression for some.  Thanks to movies and TV, we have plenty of mental images of the "perfect Christmas" that have nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas.  Those pictures in our minds of the perfect holiday have more to do with cinematic magic than with a baby born in a cold cattle stall. 

When I think of the fragility of a teenage girl giving birth in a stable and the frailty of a newborn baby lying in a manger, I am struck by the terrible perfection of God's improbable plan.  Could there possibly be a more unlikely way for the Son of God to enter into our world?  No strings of lights, royal proclamations, fireworks, or billboards announced his arrival.  Only a star in the night sky, a sign for those who were watching - a few shepherds, angel choirs, and wise men traveling from a long distance.  The incongruity of God's plan is stunning in its simplicity. 

This year,  may we rejoice  in the simple.  May we celebrate His birth in worshipful, real and honest ways, not cheapened by commercialism or our own selfish expectations.  The truly perfect Christmas is not found in a beautiful tree, expensive gifts, or gourmet meals.  The perfect Christmas is spent in the wonder of a stall with a baby, surrounded by the messiness of life.