Beautiful

Yesterday did not go as I had pictured it.
But then again.
When does it ever?

It all started out great.
We got the Christmas decorations down from the attic.
We found a great tree.
Really quickly.

Jake told me the other day:
Mom, you know what the worst thing is
about the day after Thanksgiving?
Picking out the Christmas tree.
It always takes us too long.

Well, it didn't this year.
I was thinking things were going to be beautiful.
All day.

We got home.
Took some pictures.
Got the tree in the house.
And then things weren't so beautiful anymore.

The kids fought.
Especially the little boys.
Jobie cried a thousand times.
Ryan and I might have gotten a little upset.

One brand new strand of lights.
That worked when we tested them.
Did not work when we got them on the tree.
In the middle of the tree.

I got one of my lights stuck in a village house.
Ryan couldn't find his needle nose pliers to get it out.

Two ornaments were broken.
By me.
One snow globe was broken.
By the little boys.
One ceramic tree was broken.
By Jobe.

I cannot get my mantle right this year.
(I am decorationally challenged.)
Wanted to do something different.
It just isn't working.
Brookie told me to give up.
No way.
I will get it.
Haven't yet.
But I will.

In spite of all that.
As I looked at pictures from yesterday.
All I could do was smile.
And be grateful.Our life may look and feel like a mess sometimes.
But it is beautiful.

Because God is good.

He has richly blessed us.
And it's only the tip of the iceberg.
He has so much more.

Some of it may not seem beautiful initially.
We may not even see the beauty
in some things
until we reach heaven.
But we will.
In its time.

Because God has promised.Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom
what God has done
from beginning to end.