When I contacted Sheri Graham about writing the 12 week series for the Holiday Planner, entitled Preparing for a Peaceful Christmas, I knew Christmas was going to be a bit crazy since I was due with baby #9 on December 22; however, what I didn’t know was that I would also be moving right before Thanksgiving!
Life got messy.
Here we are 3 weeks from Christmas, and I still have boxes to unpack, and the items I’ve managed to unpack already don’t all have homes. My kitchen is only semi-operational. My bedroom is a mess. We just got all of the clothes out of suitcases, and I keep finding boxes marked “Books” with no place to put them!
Oh, and having a baby…yeah, that’s still on the To Do List as well! (I really hope I find all the baby stuff in the next couple of weeks!)
It’s almost as if my Preparing for a Peaceful Christmas series is mocking me.
But, the truth of the matter is, this year, perhaps more than any other year, I NEED to try to have a peaceful Christmas. Actually, let me rephrase that…
I need to be AT PEACE this Christmas.
That’s what the 12 Week Holiday Planner has always been for me – the anchor that keeps me from stressing. In fact, even now when life is almost completely upside-down, and we aren’t even sure when we’ll be celebrating Christmas, I still have a sense of peace because I’ve done what I can.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a Christmas letter in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. I made my lists for each child, and utilized WishBin. We decorated the tree for Christmas and had our party, but not on the grand scale we usually do. We are taking things slow and trying not to rush despite the fact that everything feels like it is rushing around us.
Is it perfect? No.
But, it doesn’t change the fact that what we are celebrating is perfect.
Do you think Mary had planned things the way they turned out?
Do you think it all seemed perfect from the outside looking in?
Did any of it make sense at the time?
Yet, there was peace.
It was the peace that passes all understanding. It was the peace that comes from knowing that despite the chaos around you, you have the assurance that all is just the way it is supposed to be. It is the peace that we have today, knowing that it isn’t about the presents or the crafts or the perfection, but rather about a tiny baby born to save the world from itself.
My life is messy.
Perfectly messy.
Carla says
Thank you so much for this. Today is the 20th anniversary of my twin son’s birth/death date and I have learned that life is messy (and painful), but God is Perfect. I hold onto that promise especially during this season.
Rebecca says
Thank you for this. I needed to be reminded this morning.
We are in the midst of craziness too. Having just moved 3 weeks ago and my being 12 weeks pregnant with our 9th (with the HG sickness and fatigue that comes with it). We are maybe half way unpacked -got the kitchen unpacked 2 days before Thanksgiving. But other than music CD’s playing and some picture books being read, there is nothing of Christmas going on yet.
Thanks for reminding me that it’ll happen as it happens. It’s still the celebration of God’s perfect gift!!
Blessing on your Christmas, move and new baby!
Christa says
YES! YES! YES! Thank you for this today!
billie says
lovely post! what kind of christmas music do you guys listen to? do you happen to know some good traditional christmas albums with all the verses? i grew up listening to christmas on the radio and had no idea there were all these cool verses i was missing out on! 🙂
Amy says
I do not know of any that have full verses. We like to have hymnals to sing from during the season too.
Corli says
I have enjoyed following along in your journey of growing baby as we welcomed our 5th child two months ago. It has been a crazy time the three months before he was born, and when we came home, nothing was unpacked or prepared. No baby clothes, no place to unpack baby clothes into, I did not even know where the diapers were that I got at my baby shower.
And I had to realize that it did not matter.
Not one single little bit.
Looking back now, I really don’t regret that I was not able to get everything organized and ready before as I usually do.
Everything that needed to happen, happened when it needed to, and that was fine.
And we have this precious baby to enjoy and love to bits …
Blessings for your last weeks!
Laura Lane of Harvest Lane Cottage says
Shalom peace to you! Some of our most messed up Christmases have been the most memorable. All is well if you are with loved ones and you all love Jesus.
Happy Christmas season,
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage