The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)
Matthew 1:23
It’s my prayer this Advent season to pause and make space for Jesus. Amongst all the Christmas parties, nativity plays, present buying and card writing, December feels like a whirlwind.
I find it so easy to rush through the season without stopping to prepare my heart for the coming King. Traditionally, Advent was a time of fasting and waiting, and the celebrations happened in the twelve days after Christmas. In our culture, most of the celebrating happens before Christmas, which often adds to the busyness of the Advent season and making it harder to carve out space.
A book I love to read during December is The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp. She writes, “The heart that makes time and space for Him to come will be a glorious place.”
It’s a great reminder to make space for Immanuel, God with us. Slowing down doesn’t come naturally to me – especially as a mum of three!
For quite a few years, I have made a Christmas wreath to hang on my front door and have enjoyed inviting others to do this with me. Even over covid, some friends and I made our wreaths over Zoom. I absolutely love the process of tying the foliage onto the wreath, adding natural decorations and colour. The Advent wreath traditionally symbolises the anticipation of the birth of Jesus, and the colours of the candles and wreath’s decorations in some traditions symbolise hope, peace, joy and love. The circular shape symbolises the unending cycle of life and love. The process of slowing down to make the wreath and setting this evening aside at the start of Advent is significant for me.
Last year, I bought a book to read with my children, called Discovering Christmas, and we’d read it when they got in from school. We’d light a candle and eat a snack while we read the bible verses, and then we’d do the activity together. When their friends came over for playdates, we would include them too. This became another way to slow down and make space for Jesus. I pray that this Advent, you too will find moments to pause, create space for Him, and experience His hope, peace, joy and love.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14