Will You Make Room?
I love Christmas trees. Lights. Decorations. Snow. Decorated sugar cookies. Christmas music. Santa. Ornaments. Decorated sugar cookies. Snowmen. Christmas movies. Elf. A Christmas Carol. How the Grench Stole Christmas. Decorated sugar cookies.
Sugar cookies are my favorite.
I love the moment when all of my children are finally home, and we're getting ready to decorate sugar cookies.
I love the smell of turkey smoking and dressing baking. I love the joy and laughter. I love knowing my children love our traditions. I do so believe traditions keep families strong! And, baking Christmas cookies is a yearly all day long event which each of my children look forward to. My adult sons try to pretend they don't, but they both ask me each year, "What day is cookie baking day?"
So....every year at Christmas, I struggle to keep Christ the center of Christmas. We mention Jesus often, but is it as often as cookies? or movies? or lights? Zeke was once the happiest wise men since the original wise men travelled to Bethlehem. His first every Christmas!
We read the birth story and prophecies of his birth in the Old Testament, but do we spend more time watching our favorite Christmas movies. (While eating Christmas sugar cookies, of course.)
I found a devotion plan on my YouVersion App. It's called "Make Room" and written by Matt Maher of Casting Crowns. It has been both convicting and encouraging. He reflects on the innkeeper with no room for the baby, but do we make room for him in our hearts? Do we truly reflect on Jesus, the WORD, who became flesh, who chose to suffer that we might have life?
Then, yesterday my sweet Ellie sang such a beautiful song, making precious music that told of the one who made her fearfully and wonderfully. Lynn Gaskins, your comment on that post touched my heart right where it needed to be as I reflect on Christmas. I am taking the liberty of including it here:
"THis beautiful rendition by sweet Ellie reached deep into my heart--and I knew in my spirit that this-this precious girl and her message was the reason Jesus came. Jesus came to make a way and a path for Ellie; He came for us all-- broken and battered, guilty and shamed, despairing and desperate, or just hopeless and lost....it is a merry Christmas."
"Is there room in your heart for God to write His story?"-Matt Maher
