It's interesting that preparing brings to my mind words such as hurry, to do list, busy, overwhelmed. How different preparing for the Lord is. I am convinced that God wants us to carve out moments of silence and peace in our lives so that we can met Him away from the noise of our hectic lives.
I've been prayerfully reading the Bible much more and finding more moments of stillness during the day. It brings me so much comfort to be able to slow down and spend time sitting in the presence of the Lord. No special acts are necessary. Just pay attention.
I often run around like a headless chicken, trying to have it all, do it all. Clean the house, get the groceries, purchase Christmas gifts, catch up with friends, mark end of term assessments, plan the last 20 odd lessons, sort out my finances, car maintenance... There is so much that clutters my mind towards the end of the year. I need to make a conscious effort to carve out a chunk of time dedicated for expanding my heart. Only in this way I can prepare for the Lord. Or at least try to prepare.
I'm not convinced that I would be completely ready for Christmas. It's such a massive task to change your heart. It takes years, not weeks. But this Advent I have an opportunity to prepare my heart through time spent in quiet prayer. This has already shone such a bright light on so many areas of my life. In so many ways I've become more compassionate, more patient, more positive (although it might not always show). Most importantly, I feel so loved and I know I have my Father in Heaven and He will keep me in all the ups and downs of my life. I just need to let Him enter.
Below is an inspiring video filmed for last year's Advent. Incredible message delivered by a joyful sister.
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