Are You Ready?

For no word from God will ever be impossible. Luke 1:37

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I have some good news and some bad news on this first day of December! The good news for us this day is that Christmas is only twenty four days away! The bad news for us today is that Christmas is only twenty four days away!!

As I was surveying the leftovers from Thanksgiving, it hit me that we have a very short window to put up our tree, hang our wreath and stockings, and trim the tree with all the timeless ornaments and special items that we enjoy each Christmas. I asked myself, are you ready to take this on?

At this point, the movie, Christmas with the Kranks flashed through my mind. In this adaptation of Skipping Christmas by John Gresham, Luther and Nora Krank decide to avoid the frenzy experienced during the holiday season. After sending their daughter off to the Peace Corps for a year long assignment, Luther develops an increasingly personal antipathy for normal Christmas traditions. He decides to save all the money they would spend on Christmas decorations, parties, food, etc., and book a cruise to the Caribbean!

Nora is skeptical, but acquiesces. and they don’t particiate in the usual Christmas traditions. The neighborhood is furious, and tries to punish them for not putting Frosty on their roof, and the hazing goes on and on. The short story is that their daughter decides to surprise them for Christmas, and they are not ready! What follows is a series of antics which lead them to realize how valuable traditions, friends, and Christmas is to all of us. Christmas is a time for miracles.

Things don’t necessarily come to those who wait or aren’t ready, but rather to those that prepare. Are you ready? It takes a lot more than a Christmas tree and decorations to find the real spirit of the celebration. The real Christmas story begins with a message from the angel to prepare or get ready for the coming of Christ.

How do we prepare for the coming of Christ? First, in order to prepare and get ready, we have to prioritize. An essential part of getting ready involves doing some re-arranging. Just as we re-arrange our homes, our schedules, and other aspects of our lives for Christmas, God wants us to re-arrange our hearts, and make room for the Christ child. When we make room for Jesus in our hearts and put him in the center of our lives, everything else comes together.

Next, we need to rediscover the blessing of giving. Louisa May Alcott inher book, Little Women, said, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without any presents. I agree. There’s nothing wrong with giving and receiving gifts, but here’s the key: we’ve got to rediscover the blessing of giving. Giving brings more blessings to the giver than the receiver.

Finally, in order to be ready, we have to turn on the lights! In Isaiah, God talks about people sitting around in darknes being uncomfortable, confused, and afraid. Our neighborhood is already aglow with lights, and I must say the light all around is astounding.

In John, Jesus called himself and His followers, the light of the world. Paul pictures the world without Christ in deep darkness and God’s people as the light in the darkness. Christmas, as in no other time of the year, offers Christians a chance to let the light of Jesus shine clearly and beautifully. Jesus shines a powerful light in the darkness.

So, are we ready for the coming of Jesus. Are we ready for Christmas? This year, the wonder of Christmas can come alive for us in brand new ways if we will open our hearts and let God help us get ready for Christmas!

This Advent season is the time to Prepare ye the way of the Lord.