(Guest post by: Abby Fisher)
Greetings, fellow pilgrims, on this journey of Advent!
December came to me after the fullest Fall I’ve ever had. I witnessed sweet friends give their lives over to Jesus wholeheartedly, began helping out in two tiny classrooms, and made some new friends, on top of the typical work and school assignments. It was an abundant Autumn, and I loved every bit of it.
As far as I could see, all this excitement would carry into the holidays. Gatherings were planned, talks of fun activities to do, and gift ideas swarmed my mind. I had no intention of slowing down.
Well, as I write to you now, I am currently in the middle of a bad cold that kept me in bed the first few days of it. Rest was not optional. I had to just sit there in stillness.
I was a bit mad. My body ached and I miss people outside the four walls of my house. I wondered why in the world I had to get sick only a couple weeks before Christmas when gatherings are going on, gifts need to be made, I still have finals to do for school, and I’m not making any money missing work.
I was feeling just how limited I am. I don’t like to be reminded of my limits, but as I sat with the Lord, He showed me just what a relief it is that not everything depends on me. In fact, very little is up to me.
As for feeling like I was missing out, quite plainly, He asked me if all those things are worth missing in order to just be with Him. Are the gatherings, gifts, money, even the ministry I was doing, etc. worth more than time with the Savior?
Not that Jesus isn’t in the warm lights, heartfelt gifts, and good company, He’s everywhere for goodness’ sake. But how often do we fill our schedules full of these activities and forget Emmanuel, God with us, us with Him?
If you already have your schedule planned out, that doesn’t leave much room for mystery or wonder. And what’s more mysterious than the incarnation? How in the world does God divine take on human flesh? It’s a story worth contemplating, sitting with, in stillness.
As my mind lingered on that wondrous night long ago in a Bethlehem stable, the image of the swaddled baby resting in a manger stayed with me. He was just here. Nothing else mattered in that moment.
Instead of doing a bunch of things you think will bring about blessings and Christmas-y feelings, the reality is blessings and miracles already surround us. Jesus is already here. He’s in you and me, always. That kind of extravagant love just fuels the love we go and give out to others.
But you won’t see the blessings in plain sight for all the hustle and bustle. You’ll miss the merry miracles if you don’t make room to rest.
Therefore, I beg you this Advent to make room to rest. Make room to breathe (seriously, there’s nothing I’d love more than to take a deep breath right now without coughing). There’s something about just listening to the sound of your breath that reminds you of the One who put it in your lungs, you know.
Anyway, if you’re stressed about all you’ve got to get to, try re-examining your list. Ask the Lord what can be taken off and use that time to just sit in stillness. It’s okay if it doesn’t look all tranquil and calm (I mean, cue the coughing fits!). The Father loves any time you give to Him with all your attention.
Rest is holy. It’s a part of the rhythm God established at the creation of the world, and it’s a command He gives us to keep every Sabbath. Rest isn’t a reward once you’ve done enough. Rest is an invitation to the heart of God. That’s what we’re after this Christmas and every day to come.
The Few 
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