Perspective...

You know how when you are decorating your Christmas tree and you are right up next to it, you can't really tell how it looks?  Then you step back and there are huge gaping holes and ornaments crammed together, mostly at the bottom if your kids have helped.  But then you plug in the lights.  Everything seems to instantly fill in.  Everything glows and sparkles and you don't much care anymore about the arrangement.  Isn't that a bit like life?

Sometimes...most of the time...I get so focused on my life.  I'm way too close.  I'm so overwhelmed by the  day to day and think I couldn't possibly fit one more thing in.  Then I step back and it's even worse.  I see big gaping holes.  Things that I should be doing that I'm forgetting or not making time for.  Things like visiting teaching, reading my scriptures, hugging my teenagers, or just stepping back and taking a breath.

Yesterday I made a list of everything I have to get done before Christmas.  Need I say more?  The list was endless, and I just kept adding to it as the kids would walk in the door and hand me a flyer for a school party or canned food drive.  I was a bit overwhelmed by last night.

But this morning in the stillness of the house, the Christmas tree stood there.  Huge gaping holes, ornaments crammed together, some fallen to the ground, and I plugged in the lights.  Beautiful.  No need to fix a thing.  Even the ones on the carpet seemed as though they were purposely placed there.

As I thought about my list and then I thought about what I was doing all of this for, it occurred to me that I was missing the key element.  I hadn't turned on the light.  I hadn't invited Christ into my Christmas plans.

He is the light.  He is the only one who can fill in the gaps and make everything sparkle.  When I invite Him in, everything takes on a certain warmth and glow and he takes my imperfect expectations and makes everything perfect in it's own way.  He makes it perfect...not me.  Without the lights it's just a tree.  Without Him I can only do so much.  But with him...I can do anything.