Adults and children converged upon the kitchen
table—and two gingerbread houses, previously constructed by Aunt Bekah and Aunt
Emma. Multi-colored candies awaited their purpose in clear glass dishes, while
children awaited their signal to begin. Grandma worked quickly to squeeze rows
of gooey white frosting on rooftops to create a sheathing for confectionary
shingles. Then children grabbed communion-wafer-like discs to decorate in a
mix-match pattern across the gable roof. Chewy gumdrops and candy beads left
glass dishes and found their way into toddler’s hands—but more landed in their
mouths than on the house. Uncles painted clothes on gingerbread men and drew
faces with smiles to match the grandchildren’s. Little ones climbed on the
table and reached over the gingerbread house to snag more candy, while Grandma
prayed the icing mortar was strong enough to prevent a collapse. Aunt Tara
snapped photos as fast as she could to keep pace with the flurry of activity
and hopefully capture the perfect shot for the front of Grandma’s card.
After surveying more than a hundred of those
photos, I selected six to fill the candy-striped slots of the perfect Snapfish
template. Its background of weathered wood siding gave it a country look—perfect
for this farm-dweller’s card.
But when my 100-card order arrived, it was far
from perfect. One child’s face was completely cut off and the colors appeared
darker than on the preview. Ugh. Back to the drawing board.
 |
| Not perfect |
After surveying what other companies offered and
a hundred other templates, I selected another option. While not perfect, that
is what I mailed out.
This time of year, it seems we get caught up with
perfection—finding the perfect gift, the perfect tree, the perfect decorations.
Creating the perfect light display, the perfect Christmas cookie, the perfect
holiday meal. And for me, creating the perfect themed Christmas card and a
message to match. But this year it didn’t come together so easily. This time,
stringing words together has been a greater struggle than untangling and stringing
lights on the Christmas tree.
What is
my problem? I wondered, as I stared at my grandchildren’s
gingerbread house, now decorating my kitchen counter. Certainly not a work of
art, but in my eyes, it was perfect.
Then I got it!
That’s how God sees me.
Sure, I have my imperfections. We all do. That’s
why God sent Jesus.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of
grace and truth” (John 1:14).
And “with one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected forever
those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14).
When we confess our sins and accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our
behalf, we are made righteous. We are perfect in His eyes. And to me, that is
sweeter than gingerbread!
This Christmas, let us quit striving for perfection, for that
can only result in stress and make us feel like we are coming unglued. Instead,
let us focus on the Savior, in Whom we are being made perfect (Hebrews 10:14),
in Whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:17)—way stronger than icing
mortar.
Jesus.
The Word.
A Christmas message in a single word.
You are very blessed. It shows in the eyes of those around you.
ReplyDeleteYour card is very nice and offers a warm greeting.
This is a wonderful time to share in family things and to share in Christ traditions. Your writing is very clear and appreciated.
Have a Great Christmas and a Wondrous New Year.
David C
kodac958@aol.com
Thank you, David! I always appreciate your comments :). Wishing you all the best in 2016!
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