Finding Beauty in Imperfection
As I was putting up my mom’s Christmas decorations, I came across a star she had made. I loved it so much that I decided to make some to give away. However, what I started out to create did not come together as I had anticipated. The sticks were wet from recent rain, so I had to wait for them to dry. Some were hard to bend and even snapped in half. Others required a bit of glue, while some needed extra wire, and the fabric on some unraveled and frayed. Only a few turned out as I had envisioned. I wasn’t even going to give them out, but then I thought…
This star isn’t perfect, and neither are we. At times, we feel frayed, held together with life’s glue and wire, yet it’s these very imperfections that make us real, strong, and beautiful. Like this star, we shine brightest when we bring our unique parts together—flaws and all.
Life often feels like building these stars—imperfect, sometimes messy, and requiring patience. There are days when the pieces don’t fit as we’d hoped, and the outcomes aren’t what we envisioned. But just like these stars, the care, persistence, and love we pour into our lives create light in the lives of others. In the end, it’s not perfection that makes the difference, but the heart behind it.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
This verse emphasizes that our imperfections and weaknesses can be sources of strength and beauty, much like the stars. This Christmas, may you find joy in the imperfect, light in the fray, and beauty in the small things made with much love.
Merry Christmas, Hannah Wildes-Trumble
