Although
we’re not technically into the theological Christmas season (which starts
next Sunday with Advent), I’m going to kick off the season today, with a
familiar passage in the Gospel of Luke. I’m sure you’ve heard it before.
“And
she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling
cloths,
and laid Him in a manager; because there was no room for them
in
the inn” (Luke 2:7 NKJV).
Because there was no room for them in the
inn.
No
room for you—
Has that ever happened to you? Have
you ever been told the hotel was full, the motel was booked, that there was no
place for you to stay? Even your friends or relatives didn’t have a room to put
you up in. So you had to cancel your plans, request to be put on the waiting
list, or drive on to the next town, hoping they’d have room for you there.
Pretty frustrating, isn’t it? And
don’t you get at least the tiniest impression that you don’t rate as high on
the importance scale as everyone else does when that happens? You feel kind of
second-class.
Preparing for the guest
Now think back to a time where you
knew in advance that a friend or relative was coming to visit you. They may
have called you unexpectedly, or at the last minute, and asked if you could put
them up for a night or two, or maybe more. Maybe they didn’t even ask, like
when some parents call and just tell you they’re coming and expect you to put
them up, without asking permission or checking to see if your schedule will
flex around their vacation.
You said yes and then made plans to
accommodate them. And you probably had to go through some trouble or
inconvenience to your schedule to do that. You had to make sure the sheets and
towels were clean and you had enough food in the kitchen to cover the extra
people. Maybe you had to rearrange your schedule to pick them up at the
airport, or be home when they drove to your house and spilled out onto your
driveway with their luggage. Maybe you even had to take a vacation day to make
sure all was ready when they arrived.
Extending an invitation
But what if you were the one who presented
the invitation? In that case, you probably had done some serious mental and
schedule planning. You really wanted to make sure your friends or relatives had
a great time and made great memories staying with you, so you made sure the
guest bedroom was looking extra special and clean. (Or you booted one of your
kids to the living room couch so your guests could enjoy privacy in a nice
room.)
You might have zipped down to Bed,
Bath and Beyond to purchase brand new extra-fluffy bath towels for them—the
works, with color-coordinated spa-sized bath sheets, fingertip towels and
washcloths. You bought food treats for them to enjoy, maybe some of their
favorite wine. You had a calendar full of activities, and a line-up of local
sites for them to see, so you could show them the best of your hometown. You
wanted to make an impression.
Why?
To show them just how much you love
and appreciate them. You made room for them to
show them just how much they mean to you.
Preparing for the welcome
And that’s where we’re going with
today’s post.
As we look toward and gear up for
this special, holy season, have you made room for the person it celebrates? For
Jesus? Is there room for Him in your inn?
Since He doesn’t take up residence
in a physical inn any longer, but sets up shop in your heart, have you done all
you can to prepare your heart to receive Him and give Him a place to stay? I
mean really prepare it. Not just think about it a couple of times, but really
have the cobwebs swept out, the windows thrown open to give it fresh, clean
scent, and the surroundings looking as though someone put some time in the
expectation and joy of receiving a guest?
Or are you more distracted with the
fringe benefits of the season—the gifts, the food, the traveling, the special
choir and symphony performances—with the actual celebration of His first Advent
creeping in as an afterthought?
And that’s my challenge to you—to
all of us—this Advent. To do some spring cleaning of our hearts in winter in
order to be fully prepared to receive Him anew this Christmas. In a fresh way.
To pray and think more about Him than we do about making sure we’ll get the
best deals on whatever it is we’re purchasing for presents. To spend more time
with Him than we do on decorating every square inch of the house, planning
meals, making shopping lists, and preparing the spread.
Making room for Him in your inn
Instead, let’s prepare and decorate
our hearts. If we do, an interesting thing will happen.
Our hearts will be overcome with joy
and flooded with peace. Because that’s what this magnificent guest brings with
Him. And what does He want as a present?
You.
If you haven’t given Him that yet, I
pray you do so this year. He’s a houseguest you won’t ever want to leave. Be ready when He knocks.
If you have already opened your
heart to Him, you may need to do some major cleaning to make sure He feels at
home, or some spot cleaning to make sure you feel as though you’ve done all you
could to show Him just how much you love and appreciate Him.
Sometimes the ones closest to us are
the ones we tend to overlook.
So spend the week preparing your
heart for the arrival of the King of Kings! He’s the most important visitor
you’ll ever have, and you don’t want to look back with regret at not making
room for Him in your inn.
Blessings,
Andrea
May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul
prospers (3 John 2).
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