Making Room

I found a box in the basement as I was rummaging through my Christmas decorations, trying to decide just how decorated I wanted to get considering that no one but my husband and I will see them this Christmas. And I’m not sure he really does “see” them. A lot goes unnoticed with him, but that’s a blog for another day.

The box was labeled “Precious old stuff.” I remember when we downsized and moved a couple years ago, I had to do a lot of purging. Most of the stuff was easy to categorize. There was the Kitchen, Garage, Christmas, and Basement boxes. But then there was this pile of stuff that didn’t really fit any category. Sentimental stuff like a pair of my mom’s shoes and my dad’s old fedora hat that he wore every day. My Lulu doll and my old childhood charm bracelet with the maple leaf from our trip to Canada and the metal sponge-diver’s helmet commemorating our trip to Tarpon Springs, Florida.

As we enter this last week of Advent, we really need to get down to business if we want to be prepared to birth Jesus anew in our hearts. It’s time to do some serious purging. Time to make room. We need to commit to whatever it is we need to do to let God know we are serious in our desire to change. Our desire to make this 2020 Advent with all of its challenges, not a reason for complacency, but a gateway to lasting change.

We are being invited to something amazing. We will open our eyes on Christmas morning to a visit from God. In His unfathomable love for us He chose to visit as one of us, in the form of a baby. As close to us as possible.

We have an opportunity this Christmas to invite God for more than a visit. We can invite Him to stay. We can commit to getting rid of the things that take up room in our hearts. We can pack up the resentment, anger, doubt, busyness, and self-centeredness. We can purge ourselves of the fear, anxiety, ego, and self-righteousness that takes up space where Divine love wants to visit.

Are you ready for a visit from God? Is there room in your heart for all that He wants to bring?

Room for the forgiveness, the hope, the care, and the compassion? For the comfort, the peace, the love, and the joy?

Precious new stuff.

Merry Christmas,

Joan