A Word Before It All Begins
An invitation to pause and reflect prior to the holidays.
Thanksgiving—the official opening bell of the holidays— is in one week. Many of us will spend the next seven days preparing for that gathering. There will be food prep, and decorating, and a flurry of house cleaning in hopes that the visitors we’re expecting will somehow think that we actually don’t have piles of unfolded laundry behind that door no one is to open.
From here, all will be holly jolly, so it’s important to set the tone just right. There are weeks of cookie baking ahead, so many Christmas parties, all the lights, and of course, the gifting. This final push of the year is where so many memories are made. It’s a truly beautiful season.
There’s nothing wrong with busy holidays if they bring you joy. Your days can be full to bursting with every good thing, and there should be no guilt in that. So, too, can you be one of those who cultivate a space of simple for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is no “right way.”
Ah, but there is a right heart.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. —Ezekiel 36:26
“No one but Ebenezer Scrooge has a heart of stone during the holidays!” you insist. But there, you’d be wrong.
The heart that goes through the motions is the heart of stone.
The heart that sees no meaning behind the symbols is the heart of stone.
The heart that gives only because it is the culturally appropriate time to do so is the heart of stone.
The heart that has forgotten why we celebrate is the heart of stone.
Giving thanks is an act of worship, friends. Colossians 4:2 reminds us, “Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.” That link between prayer and thanksgiving? It is essential. It is a strong cord that tethers our faith to the truth of our dependence on the Lord, and our gratefulness for His goodness.
Grounding yourself here, in this space of understanding, with a heart of flesh, will do more to make your holiday celebrations a reflection of your love for Christ than any devotional, any Advent calendar, any nativity set.
Devote yourself to prayer this season. Give yourself time, daily, to check your heart and make sure it aligns with Scripture. Make space in your celebration to truly stand in awe of the salvation you have been guaranteed through the blood of Jesus. Start now, a week out, and a habit will be formed that will carry you through the busyness of the full season.
In Christ,
Heather