Make Room

Last week, our family {finally} set up our Christmas tree and got the house decorated for this wonderful season. 

Don’t you just love the glow of the twinkling little lights on the tree?

My favorite time is in the dark hours of the early morning -when everyone is still asleep and dreaming about me ;) – and I have my hot cup of extra dark Italian roast coffee in my hand. I turn on those tiny little lights and they bring this warmth to the room that makes me want to curl up under my blanket on the couch and just “be.” 

All is calm.
The tree is bright.
Coffee in hand.
This is just right ;)

(That little jingle poem is a bonus for you – that’s how much I love you! :)

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So, back to the decorating—

When we brought the tree in the house, we quickly realized we were going to have to move some things around.

The old German ladder that’s holding our cozy blankets? —> Move it.

The stand at the end of the couch that’s now crowding the walkway? —> Move it.

The old crate that holds more of our cozy blankets? —> You guessed it- Move it!

(How many blankets is too many?)

After what felt like an hour of playing Joanna Gaines and trying to re-design the room, we were finally done.

We had made room for the Christmas tree and decorations that make this space come alive for this special season.

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In the book of Luke, we read about the birth of Jesus.

Many of us are already familiar with it, but even still, take a look at this with me.:

Luke 2:1-7

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Ok, now let’s break down what we see:

First, we notice that a decree has gone out for a census. The Roman government wanted to know what they were working with as far as population in each place. Why? It almost always comes down to “taxes” and “military force.” Imagine that! Some things never change, huh?! ;)

So we see in these verses that everyone needs to go back to their own hometown to register. 

Imagine this – so many people busy and on the move…

Joseph and Mary arrive back at his hometown. With the influx of people on the move and coming back for the census, the place is apparently all booked up and there’s no room for them.

Of course, then the people didn’t realize that Mary was carrying their Savior. I would like to think if they had known that, they would have made room for them. Just my hope for humanity, I guess.

But they didn’t.

And even in that culture where hospitality was a highly valued thing, the place was full and no one made room for the pregnant woman whose water was about to break…

Everybody’s busy, and nobody is making room… Does that echo the time we live in or what?

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The difference between them and us is that we’re on the other side of the Cross.

We know the reality and Resurrection of that baby boy. 

We know who He really is.

We know the irreplaceable gift that He has offered.

WE. KNOW.

All that to say:

I know we’re busy and trying to do all the things, but I’m going to be straightforward here because that’s what love does:

We would be wise to make room for Him.

None of us are going to magically get the gift of more time under the Christmas tree this year.

We aren’t going to all of a sudden have our schedules fall into perfect place where we have this delightful gap of time to plug with Jesus-time.

I know I don’t have to tell you that because I know you’ve lived long enough to know this truth for yourself.

My question for you today is this:

What do you need to move to make room for Jesus Christ- King, Messiah, Saving One… the Gift of New Life… ?

I pray that you would deeply consider this question and lean in to whatever God shows you because the truth is, if you fail to make room for Christ in your everyday life, you’ll also fail to make room for the relationship He wants with you.

When we fail to be intentional about our time with Christ, we lose out on the fullness of what He wants for us.

We fail to make room for the peace that only comes through time well spent with Him.

We fail to make room for the wisdom that only comes through time well spent with Him.

We fail to make room for the confidence that can only be gained through time well spent with Him.

May we be brave enough to start letting go and saying no to the things that are hindering us from making room for Him.

May we choose to make room for the One who makes us come alive…

With love and hope – Always!

Amanda