How to (really) prepare for Christmas

“Are you ready for an emergency?”

My stomach sank. What was it?  Yesterday I had been having a low-key, relaxing morning. The night before I’d hosted our Renew ladies’ Christmas party. I was leisurely washing dishes and sweeping up crumbs, putting away platters, and letting the kids linger at their play. It was 9:26am and I was still in my jammies, enjoying the Christmas music floating through the house, relishing the idea that we had nothing planned that day.

Then Jeff called. I don’t know about you, but texting is the norm, so when my man calls, I know I’d better answer!

His first words: “Are you ready for an emergency?” 

I waited, anxious.

“That luncheon is today.” 

Oh no. Oh NO. No no no no no!

Months ago, we’d been asked by a dear local pastor, if we would come together and speak at a Christmas event at their church. We were so honored at the request, and gladly accepted. The invitation had come while we were on our road trip, and we were so excited to serve together in this way, so we mentally made note of it …

… Get that?

We mentally made note of it. 

Now, understand: I speak dozens of times a year, we have a full life, we have lots of things on the calendar. We know how to schedule, people! We do a synch every week to make sure we have all our ducks in a row, make sure I know his stuff and he knows mine. We plan ahead. I’m a planner!

How, oh how, oh how, oh how did I MISS THIS?!!

This was 9:30am and we needed to be there at 11:30am. I had no plan for the kids. No notes. I was still in my JAMMIES, PEOPLE!

How could I have missed this? How could I be so woefully unprepared?  The overwhelming emotion I felt was shame.

Shame at being so unprepared. 

But then, I turned my attention to my Only Hope. The Only One I really have to please. And I poured out my feelings of shame and failure and feeling unprepared, and so clearly I sensed in my heart,

“You aren’t unprepared.”

Suddenly it all tumbled down, the truth, straight into my heart: I was prepared. I realized that every single day, every day when we wake up early, we spend time with the Father in prayer and the Word. Every single day as we abide in Him, commune with Him, fellowship continually with Him.

Isn’t that preparation? 

And the revelation rang so clear and true in my mind:

Being prepared is a matter of the heart. 

The truth is, I could have perfectly-scripted notes and be completely unprepared to speak God’s heart to His people.

I sat down with my Bible. I needed to look no further than today’s journal entry to see a message from God for His people. It was just my own personal study, my heart-wrestlings, the things the Father had been showing me that morn.

Sure, I hadn’t written it to preach, I’d written it to live.

And isn’t that just so much better anyway?

How often have I been “prepared” for something with everything external? How often have I worked to have my ducks in a row, but my heart has been misaligned? 

Being prepared is a matter of the heart.

How often do we think that being “prepared” for Christmas is having all the presents wrapped? Lights hung. Stockings stuffed. Cards sent. House cleaned. Boxes checked off.

How about my heart? 

When Jesus came to earth, there were some who were ready. Prepared. Their hearts had been fixed on the God, patiently waiting for the coming Messiah. They didn’t know when, how, where. But they were prepared because their hearts were ready.

On the one hand, God birthed His Son into a situation where nothing was ready: To two dirt-poor clueless engaged teenagers, in a filthy manger, in a barn. On the outside, nothing was ready.

But their hearts were ready.

The one item left on our Christmas To-Do List today: Let every heart prepare Him room.

Lord, let our hearts be prepared for You. 

{Thank you for reading.}