The Mess Of Christmas

🎄🎄🎄🎄I was talking with a friend the other day, a quick, brief exchange as we crossed paths. She said “I almost look forward to to January. I mean I love Christmas. But it’s a lot, you know!?“

I do know, I thought.

The night before we had been decorating our tree, and when you turn around, it looked like a bomb had gone off. There were toys, snacks, and decorations everywhere. It’s not that my eager children weren’t helpful. They were, and delightful, decorating and unboxing with as much joy and exuberance as a child well.. preparing for Christmas. Their help was appreciated and their enthusiasm, a treasure, if not altogether tidy.

My mind flashed back to that scene, then quick as a wink, I was back standing face to face with my friend. “I sure do,” I nodded.

Then, again, I looked at her and knew she really knew. This years she has two new twin babies in addition to her other two, who are less than 4. I thought how my busy probably couldn’t even touch hers. Not that it’s a competition. But still. We both knew, in our own way. As do you. I nodded again.

I know a couple of years ago I maybe would have said something about “enjoy it, it goes too fast!” Or something else ridiculously true like that. True but unhelpful. (It would be akin to yelling to someone white water rafting, barreling down the rapids, holding on for dear life to “just enjoy the view!”)

Because while it does go too fast, and we should “try to enjoy it” I think we focus so much on that sometimes that we can kinda miss the whole point. We’re chasing moments or memories and what we end up with a mess in real life and a slight side of regret to go with it.

No matter how hard you try, especially at Christmas, there will always be more stuff to do than time to do it, more mess than there is time to clean up, and still yet, more joy than you can hold. You just have to know where to look for it.

So this year I won’t tell her-or you or me -to “slow down” or “enjoy it”. Lord knows you’re trying to. And if you could slow down time you already would have, or you stopped it altogether. No, don’t tell momma those things.

Tell her this instead.
Messy does not mean youve missed the mark.
Messy does not mean it’s not heaven- breathed.
Messy does not mean.. well? Much of anything.
Messy is just a part of living. Except one thing. Messy sets the stage. And It’s often where God shows up.

My daughter brought home a new book, about the same story, from the library the other day. It was the Christmas story.
“At the perfect place, in the perfect time, Jesus was born.” I almost spit out my coffee or whatever else I was drinking when she read it out loud to me. I had to look over her shoulder to confirm the things. Yup. It was just as I heard.

While I, and probably you, understand (or at least defer in truthfully surrender) that it was the perfect time from God’s ultimate perspective, it was probably less than perfect in every way according to others. Do you think Mary and Joseph thought it was the perfect… anything?! They were traveling, uncomfortable, without a bed, about to give birth. It probably seemed anything but ideal.

Much like anything in life, it probably felt a lot messier than any Christmas card.

Jesus comes when you least expect it. He came that way then and comes now- in unexpected circumstances, when things don’t quite add up, or don’t go according to our schedules or don’t really seem to make much sense at all. He comes when it’s messy.

But aren’t most things worth doing messy?
Like baking cookies in the kitchen, jumping in puddles, planning and preparing for a big event, getting married, giving birth. We like to erase the messy parts when we look back and overly romanticize things. With photo shop and a smooth brush, we brush over, gloss over the messy bits. We end up romanticize things so much that we hardly recognize when they’re real and right in front of us. (That must be why sometimes grandparents have the best view, the greatest sparkle in their eyes. As they watch, they can see right through the messy and see what’s really beautiful even in the mess that they know is just a part of life, will always be there.)

Look for him now-in unexpectedness, in change of plans, in disappointments. Because that’s how He came as a baby, and that’s how He still comes now. In the manger of your own messy circumstances and the stable of our own messy lives. So no don’t slow down, don’t speed up either. Don’t do anything except look around your heart and look for Jesus to come right where you are.

Your heart might be the manger He comes to rest in this year. Answer the door, open up, and let Him in. Right there, unexpected.
He comes bearing gifts, the gift of His Love.
Your biggest mess? He doesn’t mind. Your busy family, chaotic goings on? It’s got nothing on Him.
Scooch over and make Him some room.
He just wants to come. That baby, born a King. Emmanuel, God. With. Us. Wonderful, counselor, prince of peace, almighty God.

Let that be enough. (It already is.)
His presence changes things, starting first
of all, most of all… with your heart.

No prior clean up necessary.