If you Google “hospitality,” Alberta Scott, my grandmother, is sure to pop up in the top five.

MaMa sang in the church choir, taught Sunday School, baked a pound cake nearly every week for shut-ins, was a founding member of the Garden Club, i.e. lots of parties, and welcomed anyone who showed up on her doorstep. Not to mention how she loved on me and the entire family throughout her life.

I wish I could say I’m a mirror image of her, but I’m not. I’ve always struggled with drop-in company and the like. I know the importance of hospitality, but somewhere between my mind and the doorknob, truth can get diluted.

Enter a gift from the Lord, The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking and specifically, Kelly’s recent series, 31 Days of Simple Hospitality, which immediately sparked the idea of my own 31 Day series! (Check out Kelly’s new blog!)

My favorite excerpt, Day 2: Perfect is a lie.

“Perfect is a lie. It is unattainable. And when we are talking about things like the perfect house or the perfect family or the perfect meal, it is so subjective that it doesn’t mean anything at all.

Perfect is a big fat lie.

We all have messes in our home and life and heart. Big, broken, somedays-almost-conquered-but-not-quite, beautiful messes. And we hide them away and miss out on the fellowship our soul craves.

The time will never be right. Your house will never be as clean as it could be. Your to-do list isn’t going anywhere. Friend, please don’t rob yourself of community waiting for something that doesn’t exist.”

So today, let’s consider how we can extend our beautiful messes to others during the holiday season.

For me, I’m currently planning to enjoy a cup of tea in my mess with a friend who works hard and spends many evenings alone. Next year, I hope to reestablish my annual Christmas Tea.

I’d love to hear how you hope to share your beautiful mess during this season!

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. —1 Peter 4:9