(Post by: Lilly Hobbs)
The first few weeks of Advent seem to hold a heaviness for those who still observe and keep it. It is a time of repentance, and of remembrance. I am so very grateful for the time we have spent preparing our hearts for Christ’s coming and taking this journey together, however, we are not yet through.
As we enter this Christmas week, we now have the opportunity to celebrate.
Not that we couldn’t celebrate before, but it was almost as if we were sitting on a grassy hill, waiting for the sun to make its way above the wooded area before us. Now, as a few moments have passed, we can start to see the sun rising above the tops of the trees and feel the warmth on our skin.
We continue to wait until it rises, though, because we are confident that it will. We dare not leave for fear that we will miss watching it dawn.
My friend, I hope you find yourself in the same predicament today. Christmas Day is quickly approaching, and I would very much dislike for you to rush through these next days and miss joining the celebration of Heaven with your heart and home.
Our souls are in desperate need of harmony. Harmony with our Messiah. We are longing to dance with the only One who understands everything about us. The One who doesn’t simply play the note we long to dance to, but is the note itself. I feel as if many believers are looking for “better places” or “better seasons” than where they currently are, to be joined with Heaven. But when we look only for better places and ignore the presence of God breaking into our darkness, we end up in worse ones.
Each one of us must determine if we have room in our lives for Jesus. I’m sorry to say this to you, but we are each proving whether we do or don’t this very day. While He seeks to invade our hearts and souls completely, we only allow Him to have a “stable” portion of it. For example, we’ll try to give Him a Sunday morning every month or post a cute manger graphic about tiny baby Jesus around Christmas time to make Him happy, but other than those occasional times, our passion for Him is pretty much non-existent.
What do you think would happen if we made room in our lives for Jesus all year long, no matter the cost? Do you think we’d live with a bit more intentionality? Do you suppose we would chase after the cross and our Savior with more of an urgency, because we understand just how much we need Him?
On a Thursday evening a couple weeks ago, Madie & I were having Bible Study with some girls our age who have committed themselves to meeting weekly. As we were studying, I started to weep as I explained to them the burning desire I have to see them live for Jesus who came to save us from our sin and who is coming again to redeem this broken world.
I saw a quote the other day that said, “Crying doesn’t just mean sadness and despair, it can also mean longing.”
If you are reading this post, I want you to know that I feel the same way as I write today. I long for you to encounter Jesus Christ for yourself. I long for you to be in harmony with the Savior this Advent season.
All we must do is repent for losing sight of Him, make room so that He can invade our lives in the ways He alone sees fit, and then celebrate His goodness in every ordinary, radical way we can.
Allow the expectation of Christmas day and the coming of Christ cause you to rejoice, celebrate, and maybe even cry a bit as your soul longs to be in perfect harmony with its Savior. He is coming!
CHRISTMAS IS COMING
I don’t want you to miss it, I know I have before
Like the innkeeper who missed the wonder right outside his door
So open up your heart as Christmas passes through
Just in time to wake the child asleep inside of you
Christmas is coming, the bells are ringing
Hope comes alive as music fills the air
I hear the drumming, it won’t be long now
Christmas is coming, will you be there?
Christmas is coming, will you be there?
The Few 