The last couple of weeks have been typically hectic for this time of year.
Last week the older two had their school music program. The 2nd Grader was an angel, and the Kindergartener was a shepherd.
There have been parties and programs and gift exchanges. The Toddler received a great gift from her class teachers: one of her favorite books, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. She knows the whole story and the dramatic motions that go along with it. Only she pronounces it, “Going on a beer hunt,” which would make for quite a different plot.
With all the extra sugar sources and the anticipation of Christmas itself, the combined energy level of these three has been through the roof.
Additionally, Rosie the dog can’t seem to keep her paws and/or her gums out of trouble. She is obsessed with all of the following: the tree, wrapping paper, tissue paper, tutus, scarves, and most especially: the characters from the nativity set. Her personal favorite is the angel of the Lord because she can grab a wing and make a mad dash with it. Remarkably, the angel has remained intact thus far. Divine protection, I assume.
Rosie is sweet and lots of fun. But, as my mother has observed, she’s sort of like having a small horse loose in the house.
For all these reasons, the festivity has been mingled with some intense times… some stress.
And, it’s probably most apparent to me during this season that there is often a disconnect between my little blog and my real heart and behavior. Nothing brings out the ugliness of my need for perfection and control quite like the holidays.
The stories on here are usually my best-face-forward. But, there is always more to people and families than that which can be documented on social media. We’re all too complex to be captured by picture and text alone. Of course, these stories are real. The Toddler truly is as spirited as I portray her to be! We laugh and learn and love each other fiercely. But, we are also sinners. And, the challenges of parenting three young girls makes me aware of my weaknesses perhaps more than anything I’ve endeavored to do before.
Sometimes, I’m tempted to quit blogging altogether when I think too long about the tension between who I am, who we are, and the picture these posts portray.
But, when I think about Christmas I remember that the struggle with that disconnect is really what the Christian life is all about. God is perfect and holy. We are impossibly far from either. Our only chance at ever bridging that gap between who we are and who we want to be begins with the incarnation of Christ. God became real to us… God with us… and for us… at the manger. And, because of that unfathomable act of love, we can live in the midst of all our many tensions with hope. Not only is it good news; it is the best news.
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