Finding Jesus in the Christmas Chaos

Have you ever found yourself adjusting the nativity scene figures at midnight, trying to get Baby Jesus positioned “just right”? Just me? Awkward. Hi, I'm Tyler, and I'm a recovering perfectionist.

My wife Callie would tell you I'm the guy who creates spreadsheets for Christmas shopping and adjusts Christmas lights until our house could guide planes to landing. Last week, though, something happened that made me rethink everything…

I was sitting in my favorite chair, planning my 101-year-old great-grandmother's funeral, while in front of me, our boys were turning the living room into what looked like Santa's workshop after an earthquake. And right there, between grief and chaos, I had a revelation about Christmas that I can't shake.

Here's the thing: we all have this picture in our heads of what Christmas “should” be, right? You know the one – it's part Hallmark movie, part Instagram post, with a sprinkle of childhood magic. We're all trying to be some mashup of Clark Griswold and the Whos down in Whoville, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Can we talk about those Christmas expectations for a minute?

The family photo where everyone needs to look simultaneously joyful and natural (cue the forced smiles and bribes).

The presents wrapped with surgical precision (while watching the Santa Clause at 2 am).

The Christmas tree that should look magazine-worthy (but somehow ends up with all the ornaments clustered at toddler height).

But what if we're missing something bigger here?

Think about the first Christmas for a second. Not the sanitized version we see on greeting cards – the real deal. A young couple gets the equivalent of a government-mandated road trip right when they're expecting a baby. Every hotel is booked. No Airbnb. No guest room. Not even a couch to crash on.

And then – because timing is everything – labor starts.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, enters the world in a place where animals eat and sleep. His first cradle? Their feeding trough. And who gets the exclusive birth announcement? Not the influencers of the day, but shepherds pulling the night shift. That's like God sending angels to the folks working the midnight run at Waffle House (one of my favorites).

Here's what stops me in my tracks: God didn't wait for the perfect setting. He didn't need mood lighting, a carefully curated playlist, or even basic sanitation. Instead, He chose to show up in the mess, not to keep things messy, but to change us from the inside out.

Fast forward to my house the other night. I'm worried about getting our Christmas cards out “on time” when my three-year-old stops me with a question: “Daddy, do you think Baby Jesus would like to play with my Buzz Lightyear?”

Right there, between the unprinted Christmas cards and the stack of things I need to do that might actually be tall enough to qualify as a mountain, my son was getting at something profound. He wasn't worried about creating the perfect scene – he was just inviting Jesus into his world, toys and all.

This is what gets me about Christmas. God doesn't wait for us to get our act together. He doesn't require a picture-perfect setting or a Instagram-worthy life. Instead, His Spirit meets us in our everyday chaos – yes, even in:

• The handsome Christmas outfit complete with a giant jelly stain

• The arguing that comes when you have the least amount of energy

• The off-key carols sung with complete conviction

• The Christmas program where your kid decides to be uncooperative and meltdown when his part is over

What if these “imperfect” moments aren't interruptions to our Christmas story, but actually part of it? What if the Holy Spirit is most at work, not in our carefully orchestrated plans, but in the beautiful mess of real life?

Here's a thought that keeps challenging me: What if we spent less energy trying to create artificial, “perfect” moments and more time noticing God's presence in the real, imperfect ones we already have?

Because here's the truth I'm slowly learning: The God who chose to be born in a stable probably isn't stressed about whether your garland is evenly hung or your meal is cooked to perfection. He's far more interested in transforming your heart in the midst of whatever this season brings – the joy, the grief, the chaos, or all of the above.

After all, if God can use a musty stable to launch the greatest story ever told, imagine what He can do with your beautifully imperfect Christmas. Maybe the greatest gift isn't finding earthly perfection, but discovering that the Holy Spirit is at work right here, right now, in the middle of your mess.

And sometimes, just sometimes, that work might involve Buzz Lightyear visiting the nativity scene.

What moments of “Christmas chaos” are you experiencing this season? Where might Jesus be showing up in unexpected ways in your own Christmas story?