Good morning, DearOne.

Yesterday we had our Christmas program at church. Those days are extra-special … memory making days for the families who make up my church family. My church is about 20 miles from home and the drive always adds a bit more time to get my heart ready.

I was wondering as I was driving, ‘what does “Sunday” evoke in me? How do I approach the day?

Most every Sunday I get to spend with my folks, Sunday dinner … sometimes there’s about 30 of us, sometimes it’s just Dad, Mom, Steve, and me. Yesterday, Steve was working so it was different – just Dad, Mom, Luke, and me. It is rare that we don’t have the extra leafs/leaves (?) in the table.

I love the ‘set-apartness’ of the day that is different from the other 6 days. I need that. The day is to be dedicated to worshiping God. It is to be a day set apart … different from the other six days.

In his book, “The Sabbath”, Abraham Joshua Heschel says “it is incumbent on every man to be very, very zealous in making the Sabbath day preparations, to be prompt & diligent as a man who has heard that the queen is coming to lodge at his house, or that the bride & her entire entourage are coming to his home. What would such a man do?” (p.65)

That was a fresh read so driving along I was thinking about that level of preparation, listening to my Christmas playlist, and this song came on:

“Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.”
“…Let every heart prepare Him room.”

If we are going to receive our King, then we are going to need to prepare Him room- in our hearts, in our lives. We must eagerly be ready & waiting for Him.

Our God patiently waits for us to come to Him. He is ready & waiting to bless us with His Presence & His Word.

It is, then … a mutual preparation … He for us & us for Him.

I asked myself on my drive … ‘What would this woman do this day to be prepared for the Sabbath?’

‘For her Savior?’

“Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!” (Isaiah 40:3 NLT).

Clear the way through the debris that exists in our day. In our minds.

Make a straight highway into our hearts & lives.

As we hear concerts and programs and the jingles … let the sounds move you to make the preparations, and, it happens….

He comes!

What will you do to be prepared for your Savior …

this Christmas season?

this week?

this day?

this hour?

Wake up.

Make room in the inn of your heart.

Do it now.

Go.