Getting Prepared
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:11-12
In the song “Joy to the World” there are two lines that stand out for me every Christmas season. One is “let Earth receive her King.” Those words are a thrill to me. I see it as my children’s reaction when their grandparents arrive. “They’re here! They’re here!” Last year our oldest son had a significant birthday and his grandparents surprised him by coming to his party, from the other end of the East coast. He was as thrilled then as he was when he was a child. Of course we received them. We changed our plans for the next several days to enjoy their visit. That’s the emotion I have when I hear “let Earth receive her King.” Jesus is here! Yay! Sadly that is not everyone’s reaction. Some sing along with the words but don’t get it. Others are offended by the idea of Jesus. To me that is tragic. Parts of Earth are still not receiving the King.
The other line that grabs my heart is “let every heart prepare him room.” It’s Christmas time, in fact we are just a few days away and my house is in an obvious state of preparation. My house is being prepared to celebrate. There are pretty packages stashed away, lights, ornaments etc. all over the house and of course a tree. There are cookies in various containers and lots of extra snacks in the pantry. The house is being prepared. What about the heart?
I am fortunate to work in a school, which means I have a few days off before Christmas. That gives me time to prepare my house and my heart. Thanks be to God, Jesus has been a resident of my heart for a long time but this time before Christmas, Advent, as we call it in liturgical circles, is always a great time to reflect on that. My heart sees Jesus as a baby at this time of year. Baby Jesus, cold, threatened but oh so anticipated and desired.
Today I wonder if the truth is far from that description. Jesus may not be coming as a baby this year but so very sadly there are far too many places where he is not welcome, where no room has been prepared, where doors are barred. There is no baby lying in a manger shivering but there is a Savior who encounters scoffers and naysayers. I can’t change them. Although I do try, I know that only God can soften a harden heart. What I can do is make sure that I focus as much on the true gift, Jesus, as on any other preparation.
My house prep is going pretty well. Today is another baking day and tomorrow I will clean up from all the creativity that has occurred here. Through it all, the decorating, shopping, creating and cooking I have spent time with Jesus, who came to Earth over two thousand years ago and came to me over thirty years ago. My heart is as prepared as my house and my prayer is that many, many, many hearts are touched by the love of Jesus, this season and every season of every year.
Luke 2:11-12
In the song “Joy to the World” there are two lines that stand out for me every Christmas season. One is “let Earth receive her King.” Those words are a thrill to me. I see it as my children’s reaction when their grandparents arrive. “They’re here! They’re here!” Last year our oldest son had a significant birthday and his grandparents surprised him by coming to his party, from the other end of the East coast. He was as thrilled then as he was when he was a child. Of course we received them. We changed our plans for the next several days to enjoy their visit. That’s the emotion I have when I hear “let Earth receive her King.” Jesus is here! Yay! Sadly that is not everyone’s reaction. Some sing along with the words but don’t get it. Others are offended by the idea of Jesus. To me that is tragic. Parts of Earth are still not receiving the King.
The other line that grabs my heart is “let every heart prepare him room.” It’s Christmas time, in fact we are just a few days away and my house is in an obvious state of preparation. My house is being prepared to celebrate. There are pretty packages stashed away, lights, ornaments etc. all over the house and of course a tree. There are cookies in various containers and lots of extra snacks in the pantry. The house is being prepared. What about the heart?
I am fortunate to work in a school, which means I have a few days off before Christmas. That gives me time to prepare my house and my heart. Thanks be to God, Jesus has been a resident of my heart for a long time but this time before Christmas, Advent, as we call it in liturgical circles, is always a great time to reflect on that. My heart sees Jesus as a baby at this time of year. Baby Jesus, cold, threatened but oh so anticipated and desired.
Today I wonder if the truth is far from that description. Jesus may not be coming as a baby this year but so very sadly there are far too many places where he is not welcome, where no room has been prepared, where doors are barred. There is no baby lying in a manger shivering but there is a Savior who encounters scoffers and naysayers. I can’t change them. Although I do try, I know that only God can soften a harden heart. What I can do is make sure that I focus as much on the true gift, Jesus, as on any other preparation.
My house prep is going pretty well. Today is another baking day and tomorrow I will clean up from all the creativity that has occurred here. Through it all, the decorating, shopping, creating and cooking I have spent time with Jesus, who came to Earth over two thousand years ago and came to me over thirty years ago. My heart is as prepared as my house and my prayer is that many, many, many hearts are touched by the love of Jesus, this season and every season of every year.
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