Preparing Room

I stood there feeling a bit overwhelmed by all things Christmas. Boxes full of ornaments, lights, stockings, and decor lined the hall of our home. A few said boxes looked like they had been ransacked, scattering items here, there, and yonder. Instead of a cozy winter wonderland, our home looked like a chaotic winter storm. Is it just me, sweet friend, or have you been there before?

Each year I am learning that if I properly prepare the room for our special Christmas items, decorating becomes much more enjoyable. It also becomes less of an overwhelming experience. It even creates a safer space for our energetic children to join in on the fun. Christmas is a time that naturally lends itself to busyness. Calendars are full of school programs, shopping, work parties, gift wrapping, cooking, church events, and family get-togethers. All of these can be beautiful ways of celebrating this time of year, but if we are not careful, they can also leave us in a tailspin. Instead of all things calm, we feel stressed, overwhelmed, and utterly exhausted. It can also distract our attention and cause us to skim over what this time of year calls us to reflect on. Just as I physically have to prepare the room for my Christmas decorations, I also have to be intentional in preparing room in my heart this time of year. Preparing myself for the greatest Christmas gift ever given, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! As the Christmas carol Joy to the World says, “let every heart prepare Him room.” When bright lights and beautifully wrapped presents beg for our attention and adoration, we have to be able to recognize that Jesus is the One worthy of it. Nothing else can or will ever compare. So, what does it look like to prepare room in our hearts this Christmas season? Perhaps it is reading an advent devotion for the month; one of my favorites is The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp. Maybe it is listening to and singing Christmas hymns as a family the whole month leading up to Christmas. It could be attending a particular Christmas service at church or volunteering. For me, having various nativity scenes in each room of my home can be a great physical reminder. As parents, we also want to be intentional about why we celebrate Christmas with our children. Taking the time to read Luke 2 as a family before the first gift is opened can be a wonderful way to posture our hearts and the hearts of our children. It doesn’t need to be perfect, fancy, or refined, just genuine. Sweet friend, may we not let another Christmas pass us where we feel the hustle and bustle got the best of us. May we not forget to make room for the guest of honor, the One who truly matters this Christmas season. May we remember that without a cradle in the dirt, there would be no cross on a hill. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7.