I’ve been making the most decadent raspberry truffles and little lemon cheesecake squares NONSTOP these days for our son’s wedding (which is only a week away….yikes!!!). Like, even in my sleep, I’m stirring, measuring, mixing, scraping, drizzling and freezing. Oh my gosh. I need another cup of coffee…
A friend of mine posted something on Facebook recently about perfectionism. It has really resonated with me these past few days as we prepare for friends and family traveling from afar to attend the wedding.
I take a look around the house as the mixer hums in the background. My to-do list isn't getting any shorter, and the clock is ticking away.
Homemaking or home keeping seems an endless quest. Doesn't it? No matter our best efforts to keep all the loose ends tended to, there is always, always something needing our attention.
And while we will do everything to make our guests feel welcome and comfortable, is it possible to EVER have the perfect space in which to entertain? How does one EVER achieve “perfect” status when preparing for guests? Will I EVER feel as though I’ve checked off ALL the boxes before the first knock on the door?
Probably not.
Afternoon sunlight streams in bright highlighting little billows of dust bunnies clinging to furniture legs. I see chipped paint, smudges on the walls, dog nose prints smeared with hard water spots on the windows and a load of projects half done. And uh-oh, there's still lipstick on that iced tea glass and laundry waiting to be folded.
But I think of the day. This new, beautiful day. Me with an aching back and very little sleep with splatters of chocolate on the countertop and the piping bag in my hand all in preparation for the happiest day of our son's life. The glorious celebration of love and lives brought together in the light of God's blessing, and I sigh with thanksgiving.
After all, this is where we do life. This is where we laugh, cry, love, hug, smile, argue, eat, sleep and talk. Within these walls, we’ve raised two kids into amazing adults. We’ve celebrated and mourned. We've known abundance and loss. We’ve prayed through the storms together and believed in tomorrow. We’ve planned and dreamed.
And praise God, our freezers and pantry are full. In the coming days, there will be hugs and laughter and a genuine joy of simply being together once again, and the real embracing will come from the heart.
Sounds perfect to me.
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”
( 1 Tim. 4:4-5)
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
(1 Peter 4:9)
