My favorite Christmas carol is “Joy to the World.” I love its inviting lyrics: “Joy to the world/The Lord is come/Let Earth receive her king/Let every heart prepare him room…”
It clearly declares that Christ Jesus has come to bring us joy. In order to receive the joy, we all must open our hearts and make room for him. This is a very busy season, and we sometimes clutter our hearts with so many other things that the joy of his coming—the essence of Christmas—is lost.
Christmas is joyful because it is a time of hope. The king of glory has come to lighten our load. He has come to give us peace and find a place in our hearts. Sometimes we wonder why we continue the same traditions, the same songs, year after year. I believe each year is a reminder of how Jesus wants to live in our hearts and fill us with joy. He has come, and now the opportunity exists for everyone to receive him. When we have the joy of the Lord there is no doubt that he will make a road in the wilderness and give us light for our darkness.
Each year I ask myself how I can make more room for him. Since the day after Thanksgiving, I have been bombarded with savings coupons and people asking me, “Are you ready for Christmas?” I hesitate before I answer the question, because I know the real question is, “Have you completed your shopping?” Buying gifts for others has become synonymous with the meaning of Christmas. I love giving and receiving gifts, but it is secondary. It is a byproduct of Christmas. I want my motive for giving to be because my heart has expanded to love not only my family, but also those I have never met. I have learned that I can give something that money can’t buy. Praying for others is a gift.
Four days before Christmas, at 9:30 a.m., the state of Connecticut invited the nation to pause for a time of remembrance and prayer for all of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Four days before Christmas, a nation was called to prayer. The outpouring of love, prayer and remembrance for this tragedy showed that it is not just my heart that is growing with more love, but many others around me. This is a special Christmas. It is one to be remembered not only for tragedy, but also for the light of Jesus that has been shown to those who grieve and are broken. It is a time to remember how this event has the potential to change the course of our nation. I pray that we will continue singing Christmas carols that remind us of joy that has come and can exist in spite of circumstances. Merry Christmas and let’s look forward to a blessed New Year.
