The Christmas Decorating Frustration

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I love Christmas. Love it. Like so many of us do. I would also say I am a pretty crafty person. Even so, I do not enjoy decorating for Christmas. This is only for one simple reason: The want for perfection.

I look at magazines, browse Pinterest, read blog posts, and observe other people’s beautiful homes often during the Christmas season. I do this obsessively. This is exactly what has brought upon my dislike for Christmas decorating.

Instead of striving to make my home a Christmas joy for myself and my family – I am striving for a Christmas card home; a Christmas decorating perfection. This has given me a strong dislike for decorating. It brings me to frustration, disappointment, and a complete lack of enjoyment. This is the opposite of the true reason behind putting up those Christmas decorations.

Those Christmas decorations are meant for a sense of warmth, peace, and comfort. They are meant to bring happiness and excitement for this beloved holiday. They are meant to help embrace the season and give that ‘Christmasy’ feeling that we all know so well and we only get once a year.

Above all, they are meant for us to be reminded…reminded of God’s love, the true reason for this celebration; the love that God has for us that is shown through his one son Jesus, who was born in a manger. You know the story. That is what all that decoration hassle is meant for and that is what brings us the true joy.

Instead of stressing about ‘Pinterest-perfect’ decorations and fretting about whether they look more than presentable, I am going to focus this year on simply being reminded of that love; that incredible love.

My decorations will be far from spectacular and I will learn to be okay with that. My imperfect decorations will be the reminder that amidst my imperfections and shortcomings, that perfect love is still there. It is meant for me. And it is meant for you.

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Esther Vandersluis

Esther is a Canadian writing from Hamilton, Ontario, living in a sea of pink as a girl mom to three. Find her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/beautifulalarm) where you will find writing for stay-at-home moms, moms with littles, sleep-deprived moms, moms feeding babies, and babies with failure to thrive, all under the umbrella of faith in Jesus Christ.

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