And yet the heart of man, though small,
is big enough for Christ to live in,
if man will only make room for Him.
~Billy Graham
As we enter into the second week of Advent, I find myself longing for quiet in what is arguably the busiest as well as the most wonderful time of year.
Advent is a welcome daily invitation to step away from the hype of the holiday season and to reflect upon the glorious story of our salvation. It is a time of waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ. I’m familiar with this.
As each of our six children was born, there was also a time of waiting and preparation. Even as the new baby took up increasingly more space and stretched the boundaries of my belly, I began to strategize how we’d make space in our home and schedule for his or her arrival. Bunk beds were assembled. We strategically rearranged and positioned toy boxes, dressers, and cribs. Considerations and decisions about schedules, bedtimes, and who would or wouldn’t keep who awake were made. We had to make room for the expected baby.
This season of Advent is a time to make room in our hearts, minds, and schedules for Christ. The commercialization of Christmas has one message, and it’s more—more activity, more food, and more stuff. But welcoming Christ inherently requires denying other things to make room for Him and the manifestation of His will in our lives.
Christmas and the invitation to focus and intentionally prepare our hearts and minds to receive and celebrate Christ again avails us of a very personal and unprecedented opportunity. He incarnates, becomes flesh, in us through the outworking of our obedience, relationships, and unique role in His body.
This Advent season, take a few minutes to consider . . .
How are you preparing and making room for Jesus during this waiting time of Advent?
What might need to be rearranged or even gotten rid of to make space to more fully receive and embrace God’s will for your life?
What new God-sized dreams are gestating in your heart?
I’d love to hear your answers in the comments!
Shared by: Kim Hyland
Kim, this is a wonderful and heartfelt challenge to me. I’m praying for grace to make room in my heart for risky faith this coming year — and to begin in the season of Advent to say yes to God in spite of inconvenience or the messiness that comes from welcoming others into our lives.
Michele, inconvenience and messy are so often the uncomfortable means to beauty and truth, aren’t they? I’m praying you and I will become more comfortable with both, as we say “yes” in faith. Thank you for sharing! Have a blessed Advent.
Love that idea of making room, literally, for new babies…and how that is exactly what we need to do this year and every year–every *day*– in our hearts, for Christ.
Ann, it resonates with me too. Our spiritual lives are surprisingly so much more practical than not. Thanks for your comment and all your encouragement. When I think of you, I’m reminded how as we “make room” for God’s will, He moves in with all the resources we will need. You bless me so, friend!
Thank you Kim for this reminder. I realize in order to pick up something new, I have to put something down to create space for the new. Thank you.
Beautiful reminder. No matter how many times we have done it, we need to “prepare Him room” yet again. I have been using Kim Camealy’s new Advent book, Come Lord Jesus this year and loving how it is speaking to my heart each day. Thank you for sharing the quote by Billy Graham. May we continue to make room each and every day until He arrives! Blessings to you and yours!
This may sound silly, but I’m making room for God this Christmas by saying no. A lot of no. Nicely, of course. I find when I say yes to the cookie swap and yes to the book club and yes to the girls night and yes to the Christmas show and yes to the added church service and yes to…..everything, I end up stressed out, too busy, and with no room for what we’re celebrating. I’m learning who I am and what works for me. I need white space. I need empty calendar squares. I need the ability to read to my kids. These are the things that give me the ability to breathe and find Jesus in the season. So grateful for your reminders!