Preparing our hearts … Advent, Week 2
Tonight – a quiet contemplative moment … the twinkling of the tree lights, gentle Christmas music playing … so thankful for this time to prepare my heart for Christmas.
Malachi proclaimed: “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
Zechariah, John the Baptist’s dad, sang, ” And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation …”
Luke quotes Isaiah as John preaches, “A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”
Advent is not only a time of expectation, it is a time of preparation! Yes, there is the list-making, the cleaning and cooking, the shopping and wrapping. So much joy is invested in the preparation of the celebration of Christmas! And yet, one of the sweeter
preparations is that of the heart. Taking time to quieten our hearts before the manger, to contemplate the miracle of the incarnation, to once again bow before the king in humble submission allowing the holy light to shine in our hearts – to illuminate, heal, purify … such preparation is the work of Advent. As we prepare our hearts, we experience His peace.
Let’s light the second candle of Advent … the candle of peace! May our hearts be softened to the message of Christmas that we need to hear, need to understand. May we experience the peace that comes from a right relationship with the God of Christmas.
