Pray - December 12, 2018

Photo by Mike Corey

I’ve lived away from family for many years, so rare is the Christmas that I get to spend time with them; some years they make the trip to Connecticut, other years we make the trip to the Midwest. Holiday plans take a lot of work – travel, food, gifts, decorations, making the guest room ready, tidying up for company. And then add the usual seasonal issues – endless Christmas music (even though it’s Advent), our stress meeting the stress of others, and perhaps end of year job duties. This is the Advent many of us know; a season to prepare, stress out, and worry that all will be ready; and we tend to put this all on ourselves, and sometimes above what is important.

As I think of Christmas’ past with family, I recall that all the stuff swirling around – the travel, food, gifts, decorations, guest rooms, and cleanliness of the house are not the things I cherish. It was moments connecting with family and friends, sometimes even strangers…or friends I hadn’t met yet. It was the conversations, the laughter, the joy, the love. It was hearts being open to one another. Sometimes healing happened, other times great thanksgiving, and each time lives were drawn closer together.

We’re in the season of preparing, not just for family and friends, but for Emmanuel, God with us. We busy ourselves with so much. But, in all the busyness, are we taking time to preprayer? Are we taking time each day to pause and make room in our heart for the real blessings of the season? For God, for Christ, for the Spirit, for those we will soon see, and the gifts of joy and love.

Before we know it, we will be in the Christmas season, then Epiphany and so on. The rushing, buying, traveling, cleaning, decorating are not the things that will be cherished between us and our loved ones; it will be those moments when we connect in love with those in our lives with whom God has blessed us. The moments of God with us as we are with one another.

God wants a connection with us too, beyond Advent wreaths, calendars, and hymns. God wants a connection that opens our heart for the love of Christ soon to be with us. God wants us to stop the rushing for just a moment and share our laughter, joy, thanksgivings, concerns, worries, stress; all that lights up our heart…and that clutters our heart.

As we recall the true blessings of this season we find with one another, may we also take time to prepare through prayer with God so we are ready for the greatest gift of all, the love of Christ.

Post by Mike Corey