wish list wednesdays: my grown up christmas list

Rescue of the Lost Lamb by Minerva Teichert

lately i've been thinking about my "grown-up" christmas list (thank you amy grant.)
so often i find myself wishing away all the hard things in life. wishing things were different, wishing life was easier. wishing we could be done with school, wishing we lived closer to family, wishing i could spend all day everyday with my kids.
wishing, wishing, wishing.
but when it comes down to it, i do not want to wish my life away.
what if the hard things were all gone? would i be who i am today? would i be courageous enough to start my own business? would i be strong enough to fight through doubts and doubters? would i be confident enough to set goals and actually achieve them? 
i believe in Christmas. 
and i believe in Christmas because i believe in Christ. and if i believe in Christ, i believe that He heals all wounds. all heartaches. all sorrows. all pain. i believe that He knows me and all that i feel and long for. i believe that He has great things in store for me.
instead of wishing away the things that make our lives hard, this year, i wish for more faith. faith that He knows what He is doing with me. faith that His plan is better for me than mine. faith that in the end, everything will be ok. not just ok, in fact. everything will be PERFECT.
i wish for faith enough to trust. faith enough to be bold. faith enough to stand. faith enough to not be afraid. faith enough to LIVE and not just pass the time. faith enough to make a difference.
i hope this season we can take the time to step away from the gifts and glitter to celebrate the Greatest Gift: the birth of Him who gives us hope in all things.