Luke 2:1-7
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
Luke tries to describe this chaotic situation in the best possible light. He’s not being dishonest, but he’s certainly dressing it up a little. This was God’s perfect plan, even if it didn’t seem perfect. Everyone has their own idea of what a perfect Christmas is, but the reality is there is no such thing. The first step towards finding our way back to peace in the midst of circumstances that are less than perfect is acknowledging that things are less than perfect. One of those realities that we need to acknowledge is that Christmas has never been perfect when we look at it from our limited perspective.
The perfect Christmas is the one where you can experience peace, when your circumstances are less than perfect. That’s not only more realistic…it’s more attainable. Begin your way back to peace today by acknowledging that your circumstances may be less than ideal. Don’t stop there though, find comfort in the fact that the first Christmas was not perfect, yet God was very much present just as He is in your circumstance.