Haywire Christmas

I use to think that the perfect life was a blessed life.

You know… a life with no financial struggle. Where cars don’t break down, people don’t lose jobs, computers don’t die, kids don’t get sick… family room ceilings don’t leak… in three places, cars don’t break down again and furnaces don’t stop producing heat. Sounds like a blessed life to me!

All of those things have been a part of my life over the last couple of months – and more than once I have claimed that I. Am. Done. DONE.

However, in preparation for the release of my Christmas Devotional, the Haywire Christmas: Inviting Jesus into the Mess, I have been forced {for lack of a better word – or maybe, because that is truly what it has felt like} to sit in my absolutely perfect mess and crazy-chaos.

I have kicked and screamed… and questioned, “Lord, what are you doing?”. I have felt completely stripped and exhausted and wondered how much harder this season needs to get before we can just move on.

What I am noticing and just beginning to get a glimpse of is that this wilderness is a sacred place.

Could it be that the richest blessings are really smack in the middle of the mess?

Christmas always brings me to the stable. The crazy manger a new mother had to lay her baby in. It stunk from the animals. It was dirty and full of germs. It was dark.

And yet – THIS is what everyone had been waiting for!

THIS was the blessing of the promised Messiah!

THIS was God’s Word and promise coming to a broken world.

THIS was not what they expected.

The Messiah and Savior of the world was to come with lights and bling! The King of kings was to be celebrated among the nations!

How can this be?

Nothing about Jesus’ arrival was “perfect” – and yet, He is the most incredible blessing this world has ever seen.

Jesus came right into the mess and changed the world.

The Good News is that this Jesus still comes right into the mess… and He changes everything.

In fact, inviting Jesus to sit with us in the mess of our lives might just bring the deep peace and hope the depths of our souls long for.

Will you join me on this journey of a Haywire Christmas and invite Jesus in the mess?

For the next 5 days you can get your copy of Haywire Christmas FREE for Kindle HERE.