Naughty or Nice?

Dear Santa,

I'm not going to claim membership on either list. Truth is, I'm certain I belong on both, so I'm not really sure how you choose. Put me on whichever list you like. You see, I don't really want for anything this Christmas.  I have so much!  My husband is precious... I'm so proud of him and I'm blessed by him daily.  Justus and Lexi make my heart want to burst with love.  I have family and friends who love me and inspire me.  I live in a community of grace and hope, which makes all the difference!  I have peace.  Somehow, God has managed to use me in spite of me.  Then there's my church, my job, my fun life... and I haven't even begun to recount my material blessings.

Don't get me wrong, Santa, my life is not perfect.   But my life is exactly what I want it to be-a work in progress.  How amazing does that feel?  I never have to be done, cause I won't be done until I'm, well, DONE.  At this time of year, it's only natural to recount what has happened and where the year has gone.  It's been a crazy year, to say the least.  I'll spare you the details, Santa. But, the highlights are definitely grace and growth.

grace.

I've learned grace in a way I never have before.  It's been given to me in a way I can't comprehend.  I've had opportunities to pour it out on others and be a part of it's healing balm.  (And every time I stand back, amazed that I could do anything at all.)  I think it may be one of my favorite words.  I cannot tell you how many times Lexi has told me over the last few days that "God still loves us when we disobey."  She's right.  Such a precious truth out of the mouth of my little girl.  While that's not a license to go crazy, it's a comfort to know that when we do disobey, we don't have to run and hide.  He wants us back.  And a lot of the time, He likes to use the people around us to remind us of that.  I want to be that kind of people.

growth.

The funny thing about growth is that usually it happens so slowly that we totally miss it, until one moment when you do a double-take be cause something caused you to compare the way it was with the way it is.  Growth happens when something is nurtured and fed.  It doesn't happen to things that are starved.  Growth takes work, lots of it!  Sometimes the work is hard and other times it's so enjoyable, you wouldn't even consider it work at all.  I've learned that I get returns on what I invest in... if I invest in things that promote a healthy happy life, guess what?  I get one.  If I invest in things that are unhealthy for me, I suffer the consequences.  This applies to my emotional, relational, spiritual, physical, etc. fitness.  We have some beautiful pink rose bushes in front of our home.  They really are amazing looking!  But, you know, if you get close to them, you'll see the roses aren't perfect.  Not only are there some imperfections in the rose petals and the leaves, there are thorns, too.  If I spend my time examining those things, I miss the awesomeness of the whole.  Sure, maybe there's a petal that needs to go, or a wayward branch that needs pruning, or maybe I'll get pricked if I get too close, but if I take a step back, I remember that it's all about the beauty of the whole rose bush.  My life and my relationships are so much like that!   It's good to remember the value of all of it and to look less at the imperfections.  I've got to invest in what's healthy, let go of what's not, and appreciate the beauty of life or relationships, as a whole.  So, Santa, I know that even though I have far from perfected anything in my life, I have learned to invest in the things that are beautiful in my life and to be content in enjoying the growth that comes from that and at peace with the imperfections.

You see, Santa, it doesn't matter so much to me which list you put me on this year because even if I wake up on Christmas morning and my hands are empty, my heart is so full that it just bubbles over.

Merry Christmas, Santa!

Dana

p.s.  Should I happen to make the nice list this year, how about an Amazon gift card to go towards the camera I want to be able to document this LifeUncontainable?  ;)