As the holiday season is upon us, and the end of the year approaches, we can easily get swept up in the demands of activities and busyness. If we aren’t intentional, we can plow through the season focused on our gift list and to-do list while the whole point of it all can be lost and forgotten.
We can miss out on what God wants to do in our own hearts- or the hearts of our family, or extended family members we don’t see very often. Without meaning to, we can ignore the needs of those in our church or community who’ve experienced loss or are enduring a dark season. The smiles plastered on passing faces remind them of what they lost this year and push them further into despair.
Unless we are intentional, we’ll put blinders on to what God is doing- or wanting to do in and through us. We can ignore Him. He does give us a choice.
As our calendars shift to the Advent season, I don’t want to miss God. While our culture romanticizes the season making it easy to numb our pain and forget our problems, I’m reminded to seek Him more, not less. To make more space for Him not to squeeze Him out.
This season I will rejoice in Jesus. The fact that He is a God who came down to us; He comes near. By entering the story of humanity Jesus rescued us in the midst of our brokenness. I want to allow that understanding to sink deep into my soul this season. The more and more I recognize my need for a Savior, the greater my worship of who He is and what He’s done.
Last summer I had the privilege of collaborating with a group of women to create an Advent resource. It’s a 14-day devotional called, A Savior For The Broken with a prayer and a few short questions each day. Tools like this are a great prompt to record what God is doing in your heart the holiday season and allow you to look back and remember God’s faithfulness in your life- and the lives of your family members. Click here to get yours today!
As the end of the year approaches, I will be taking the next few weeks off to make more space for family and to work on what’s next in terms of content and writing.