Making Space for Advent 365

The holidays have long since passed. Thanksgiving and Christmas skipped into the New Year without a glitch. And here I am, still pursuing Advent. 

While I read and thoroughly enjoyed Susie Larson’s Advent devotional Prepare Him Room and just yesterday returned Ann Voskamp’s The Greatest Gift to the local library, emails of Christ’s coming still sit unopened in my inbox. This lingering invitation from author Hannah Brencher to reflect upon the gift of Immanuel will be my next undertaking. 

Even though it is the time when most folks are making (and breaking) New Year’s resolutions, I remain behind. Abiding in the breath of Advent despite that it is mid-January. I dwell in this expectant place, still longing for Christ’s coming. 

Though the nativity set was packed away with the ornaments and lights, the call to manger’s space is ever-expanding within my heart — a wooing to prepare Him room. To make a place for God-life to conceive itself in me. 

Much like Mary, I sit in awe that the Savior of the world would choose to place His presence in me. And I wonder what unspeakable gift will make itself known in the space of this surrender. While Mary received a child in her virgin womb, what newness will come to life in me?

What miracle will take place at the bending of my sacred yes?

I’m uncertain what this calling to make space will look like, but it is a journey I want to take. A destination I am determined to pursue though I’ve no idea exactly where it will lead me — except closer to Father, which makes for a worthy trek, indeed. 

So join me here as I ponder and unpack this gift of God with us, as I stay for a while under Bethlehem’s starlight when others move on. I’ll do my best to sort out my thoughts and blog more consistently, but sometimes what I plan moves separately from God’s designs. 

For now, I am content to simply come and see the wonder that is in the invitation. To open my eyes and my heart to behold the Light of the world shining as He wills. Wherever He deems is darkest and needs the illumination of His Spirit most. 

A lot is going on in the world around us. And perhaps, a lot is going on in the world within you, too.

No matter the season, Christ’s coming remains the answer for all the deepest longings, without and within. 

I hope you will join me in preparing room for God to expand in your life this year. To clear the clutter of a too-full schedule and cease rushing to fulfill too many responsibilities squeezed into its margins. To release distractions that keep you pressing to perform for all the wrong reasons.

In place of pursuing perfection, may you receive God’s grace, even if it surprises you by showing up in unexpected ways.

Here where life feels crowded, I encourage you to make room and look for His coming. And when He appears, let’s invite Him to stay, opening ourselves wide to absorb Spirit’s breath descending and settling into soul space.

In actuality, I cannot think of a better New Year’s resolution than to determine to become a space for love to land. So maybe I’m not as out of step with the rest of the world as I thought.