Perfection is Not the Goal | A Virtual Pilgrimage for Advent & Christmas: Octave Day 6

Reflecting on Christmas with a newborn, Rachel invites us to let go of perfection and learn from Mary and Joseph what it means to show up fully and be lovingly present to Jesus.

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Transcript

Have you ever held a new baby at Christmas? Perhaps one of your own children on their first Christmas — a niece or nephew, a grandchild, or the baby of a dear friend. There is simply nothing like the wonder you feel gazing down at a new little face, so fresh from God, especially in the glow of a Christmas tree.

There is so much ahead of them. So much promise. Christmas with babies is something very special.

My first child, my daughter Lucy, was born in late November of 2018. I had so many expectations of how it would feel to be a new mother at Christmas, and nearly all of them were wrong. The traditions I loved weren’t nearly as important, because I had no time or energy left to put into them.

Forget fresh-baked cookies, perfectly wrapped gifts, and long holiday dinners with family. Instead, I found myself in the middle of sleepless nights, around-the-clock feedings, and diapers — never quite put together enough to welcome guests without a disclaimer about the disheveled state of my house or myself.

But none of that mattered. I realized that all the ideas I had about how we would celebrate as a family of three, or how I would share my favorite things about Christmas with my new daughter, could wait for years to come.

There is precious little a baby needs other than you. The need for you is constant and full — exhausting and beautiful all at once. And as a mother of three now, one of whom is in the midst of very busy toddlerhood, I can tell you the sense of being constantly needed doesn’t fade quickly. It’s still exhausting and beautiful.

The most important thing I can do is show up for it all.

What would it feel like to spiritually show up for Christmas? To attend to Jesus the way Mary and Joseph did that first year with their newborn? Can you picture it — Mary and Joseph, weary from travel and labor and unexpected visitors, lying in a tired heap with their newborn son between them?

Mary finding a new rhythm with baby Jesus, learning to tell his hunger cry from his tired cry, and discovering the best way to swaddle him so he would sleep longer. Joseph figuring out how to support his young wife and learning what it means to be a dad.

The waiting is over now, and there is little stillness and even less quiet. But the mood is still contemplative. Together, Mary and Joseph ponder the hope they find in the eyes of this new life.

All their attention is directed toward Jesus, totally devoted to him in every thought and action. Nothing else matters.

What would it look like for you to direct more of your attention toward Jesus for the remainder of this Christmas season? What might you be able to let go of? Now that he has arrived, how can you make space for simply being with Jesus — gazing at him and receiving his unconditional love?

How might Joseph or Mary be inviting you to join them in their total devotion to Jesus?

As every new parent can tell you, perfection is not possible — and therefore it is not the goal. All that matters is that you put your whole self into the most important thing: being lovingly present to the child.