20 December 2010

It's mostly a process, this life.  Such as, right now I am going gray.  It's slow, but sometime in the imaginable future I will either have gray hair or will be coloring it. I'm getting prepared.

The other day a friend stopped by I'd not seen for three years.  She walked toward me, waving, and I waved back, watching, wondering, was it really her?  No longer was her long hair the brown I knew her to possess.  Now it was a lovely white!!!

How hard it was for my brain to accept the change as we stood and talked about life.  Even now I think if I saw her it'd take me awhile to adjust.  When changes happen quickly it's difficult to take it all in at once.


A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Isaiah 11.1

This time of advent; it's a gift.  My family and I have been spending time nearly each day singing, reading, talking, praying, crafting the events that took place so long ago.

We haven't always done this, but I'm so thankful we're taking the time this year.  We've revisited the ancestors of Jesus and sympathized with Mary and and I just can't believe in only a few days she's going to deliver Baby Jesus!

I wait anxiously for the heavenly host to shock the shepherds.  We'll picture them running, the angels lighting the way, to go worship this Infant-King.

I'm not ready physically for Christmas Day (procrastination is a great strength of mine).  The presents still need wrapping.  Some food still needs to be purchased and prepared.  I still need to get stamps and put them on my Christmas cards so they'll be in the mail before Christmas.

Though I don't think this is the smartest way to accomplish the Christmas tasks (look at my Christmas planner, my budget, my lists...I try, I try), it's not the most important part.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
Isaiah 11.2,3a

It's a process, this readying of the heart.  I take this week, this last week of anticipation, to ready my heart first.  Trusting God will provide me the strength, wisdom, and ability to accomplish the most important things!

May you as well make it your top priority this week to ready your heart.  Read and feel Luke 1 and 2 all week.  Google search the prophesies which foretold His coming.  Pray, sing, offer thanks.
Make room in your heart so that on Christmas you're prepared, and miracle of His birth will not be a shock you can't take in but a gift you're prepared to receive.


Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
Luke 1.68