June 8, 2024

We live in a fallen world so why should we expect life to be perfect. We shouldn’t, yet somehow I grew up with dreams of a perfect life. I wanted to be married, have babies (I love babies), and have a little home of our own. But of course, I found out long before that happened that things did not always turn out the way I had hoped. Yet it seemed that “hope” was always residing in the back of my mind that this event, this circumstance, this important occasion would be just perfect.

I always wanted our Christmas celebrations to be perfect. As our family grew from children to married adults, to grandchildren (twelve of them) there were more and more people I wanted to please. Time after time, in spite of my best laid plans, something would flaw our celebrations.

Then one Christmas I was hit with a brilliant truth. Life is not perfect, so don’t expect it to be. Part of my Christmas preparations included a list of truths that I would commit to following:

• Life is not perfect.
• Things do not always work out like we want them to.
• There will be some things you wish hadn’t happened.
• God is in control.
• It doesn’t matter if Christmas isn’t perfect.

Christmas brunch was ready. Eighteen of us gathered around two tables in two separate rooms. Grandchildren were at the kitchen table and adults were seated in the dining room. As I lifted my fork with the first bite of egg casserole, something happened that I wish wouldn’t have. The title for this story in the book is, “My Oxymoron Christmas.”

Anything happen to you that you wish hadn’t?

Maybe you can relate.

God is in control!

Charlotte