Quiet Love

My mind has been disturbingly noisy of recent.  There are many and varied reasons why and I am doing my best to work on what is in my control.  Still, it is frustrating, disappointing, consuming and frightening at times.

And it's Christmas.  I especially dislike an unquiet mind when it's blazoned across the country that "it's the most wonderful time of the year."  I have spent far too many Christmas seasons in turmoil.

My girl is home for one glorious month.  Our family will be blessed to relax and enjoy each other throughout the holidays, and my Christmas preparations are slowing down...not speeding up. It's the perfect recipe for celebrating.  Yet my mind is racing.  That nebulous, empty, wild noise which comes far to close to the edge of mental and emotional torture.  I've been there before.  The welcome mat is packed away in some dark closet and there is no part of me that desires to ever see it again.

Last evening was dark.  Scary...opening up memories of days past.

And then God breaks through.  Often it is in the mundane that I hear His voice.  Last night it was with my hands in the dish water...."He will quiet you with His love..." were the words the Spirit whispered to the noise in my head. 

I've heard and read and recited Zephaniah 3:17 countless times over the years but this time it was those seven simple, but powerful words which touched me.  It's His love which hushes me, even if but for a moment."

Today is quieter and I'm filled with gratitude.

Prepare Him Room

Advent is upon us.  Oh how I love this season.  My library of Advent devotionals has grown over the years allowing me the opportunity to delve into pages past for comfort and hope and direction and challenge.  Beth A. Richardson wrote "The Uncluttered Heart--Making Room for God During Advent and Christmas".  Even in the title her words speak of an effort, a focus , an uncluttering of our hearts.  It's not something that will magically happen but instead requires something of me.   Invariably it requires that something in my heart be removed in order to "prepare Him room."

This Advent season is fresh and rich but it also holds an element of harshness that came completely unexpected.   I am surprised at some of the clutter in my heart.  Surprised because it's presence was somehow hidden from me.  Life has a way of "accumulating" over the years and is sometimes unknowingly shoved out of the way.  Seemingly out of nowhere I have begun to trip over these pieces of life.  It's not the path I had planned I would walk this Christmas.

The past couple of days I am being beckoned to--

"Prepare Him room
 Prepare Him room
 Let the King of glory enter in..."

It's a compelling call but one I can't ignore.  Whatever this undoing requires of me I am I am reminded that the very one I am preparing room for is Emmanuel-God-with-us.