It takes little explaining on my part to tell you this is a busy time of year, a busy season, a busy week, and a busy day. We are on the brink of Christmas morning…even closer to Christmas Eve when many families begin to celebrate.
My current situation is wrapping paper strewn across my bed, bows and ribbons are littered across my comforter, bags from stores are tucked in corners of my room each stuffed with price tags and plastic wrap. From one end of my room to the other are remnants of wrapping paper and tape, bits and pieces, cut off and left behind. In the next room is my family, immediate and extended, all together, the football game on TV, the little kids playing dress up, others are making little necklaces. Dinner is cooking on the stove.
There’s so much happening and still so much left to do. It is easy to be anxious, to worry if everything will get done in time, to worry if everyone is taken care of, to worry if I bought everything I will need, to worry if there is enough, to worry if I am enough.
I sometimes think about what it was like when I was a newlywed, and we celebrated our very first Christmas as a married couple. Ironically, after being married for only three months is when we found out we were expecting our first child. Ironically, we had a son born only three days after Christmas day. I remember those days leading up to him being born. I cried…a lot. I worried….a lot. I thought I would never have things ready in time. I thought I would never be ready in time. I remember wanting only the best this world had to offer. I remember the baby showers, the preparations, the baby bed, the hospital, the friends and the family, and just trying so hard to have everything as picture perfect as we possibly could. And there I was, crying and worrying.
It makes me think about another very young girl with her very new husband and her very swollen belly. I think of them, packing up, leaving home, and journeying into the unknown. I think about the young mother. I think about what could have made her anxious, what could have made her nervous, what could have made her worry.
I think about that young mother and I wonder, was she worried? Or did she just trust and know? And what about her young husband? So much responsibility in his hands. Was he patient? Did he just trust and know?
I think about them arriving in that new unfamiliar town. I would like to imagine that if I were there, I would make room for them, I would try to help them prepare and to help make things special. But then I wonder, what about today? Did I make room for Him today? Did I prepare for Him today or did I only worry? Was I anxious or did I try to make things special?
So tonight, I am going to do what I can to “be ready” for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. I am going to work hard to push out what crowds my mind and my heart and instead try to make room. I am going to think less about all of the preparations and think more about how to best be prepared for the One that is coming. I am going to replace my worries with the faith and thoughts of the young mother and the faith and patience of the young father.
Tonight, I will worry less about the wrapping paper and more about wrapping my arms around those I love. I will worry less about making things perfect, and I will focus more on the One who is love’s perfection.
The truth is, that bright star shines brightly over wherever we are…leading us to where we need to be. The truth is, wherever we are and whatever we are doing, there is always the opportunity to make room!
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