Early this year, my kind and thoughtful friend Jen gifted me the book The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie for my birthday. You can read more about it on the website, but here is a brief snippet from the description.
The Lives We Actually Have is an oasis and a landing spot for weary souls, with blessings that focus on the full range of human moments…a reminder that we don’t need to wait for perfect lives when we can bless the lives we actually have.
As you might imagine, this is a book that is right up my alley.
In the introduction, the authors explain that a blessing is a type of spiritual language that is more than a simple expression of gratitude, praise or prayer. “The act of blessing is the strange and vital work of noticing what is true about God and ourselves.”
Over the course of the past several months, I have picked it up on a regular basis to be inspired, comforted, and encouraged by the thoughtful writing of the authors. I’ve done it even more so lately during what has been an especially challenging few months.
Last weekend, as I was tidying up the pile of books and magazines in my cozy (and messy) little reading corner in the living room, I was thinking about the upcoming holidays. And holding the book in my hand, it inspired me to ponder a little blessing for the month ahead as a way to (in the authors’ words) “put my spiritual house in order, even when my circumstances are entirely out of order.”
It turned out to be such a comforting, peace-giving exercise for me, so today I thought I would share it with you in case your December could use a little blessing too.
Blessings for an Imperfect December
December is here and the holidays are in full swing. Even if I didn’t have a calendar, I would know this because my inbox has been bombarded with emails for Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday deals. Every other commercial on TV is happily proclaiming, “It’s the most of wonderful time of the year!”
But honestly God, right now life feels a lot more heavy and hard than merry and bright.
While the world may be promoting its promises of happy holidays with carefully curated images of perfectly decorated homes and carefree family gatherings, I take great comfort in knowing that true peace and joy are not to be found in those things.
Thank you, God, for seeking us out in the midst of our messy, imperfect lives. This December we humbly ask for you to comfort us with your presence in our broken hearts and aching backs and scary diagnoses. Please meet us in our complicated relationships and quiet our loud, anxious thoughts. Please share your Grace and Abundance when our resources are stretched too thin.
And also, just for me God, if you could, please keep the hinge on the oven door working for just a few more weeks.
Lord, if it’s true that beauty is your handwriting, give us eyes to see the love notes that you scatter throughout Creation which you loved into existence and which bears the signature of your Divine fingerprints.
* The streak of crimson across the early morning sky
* The late afternoon beam of light that shines through my back door
* The tiny crystals of frost on the last of the fallen oak tree leaves
Blessed are we who are filled with wonder and awe that the Creator of the cosmos humbled himself to take on our human nature.
Blessed are we who take comfort in knowing that God is with us in the midst of all of our suffering.
Blessed are we with weary souls who place our hope in Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
Thank you for sharing Kelly. Once again these words really speak to me and where I am in life. Here we are in Dec and I am ready to tell the stories of my Dec and what life looks like right now.
Janet I am so grateful to know that my words spoke to you. Wishing you wonderful holiday season in all of its beautiful, messy, imperfections. ??
Today I know I was meant to stumble across your Instagram account just so I could read your Christmas blessing – it had me in tears because if resonated so much with me and the life I’m living right now.
Thank you for inspiring me to write my own blessing and to focus, not on the family photos my kids won’t take or the fact that Dec 2nd was filled with chores and window cleaning but on the truth that God has blessed me with a beautiful world and a beautiful family and many more simple, yet perfect joys!
Kirsty, thank you for reaching out to me with such kind words. It means so much to me to know that my words resonated with you. Wishing you a peace-filled holiday season!