It is Five Minute Friday time: time to let my hands dance on the keyboard or talk into my microphone for 5 minutes solid. Just write what comes out based on a single word prompt provided by our event organizer, Kate Motaung. This exercise is about more than just writing. It is also about community. Once you have written your five-minute piece, you then link up with hundreds of other bloggers on Kate’s Five Minute Friday link up page. Then as writers, we share the love and visit each others’ posts and give supportive feedback.
Today’s word is Prepare.
My granddaughter helped decorate our tree this year.
My husband and granddaughter put the angel on top of the tree together.
I still have not finished decorating. I need clips to hang the garland and haven’t found any at our local stores.
My mother bought me this last year for Christmas at an auction.
12:10
God is so amazing and this season so beautfiul. The trees shine brightly. The decorations gleam. We work so hard to prepare our homes.
I stumbled in my preparations. So frustrating. I can’t find clips anywhere to hang my garland. My Christmas storage boxes are still sitting in my living room and only two weeks til Christmas, and I have so much clutter everywhere. I haven’t prepared well at all.
I have so much junk in my living heart as well: bitterness and discord. I am not focused on Him. I have not left room in my life for Him when I don’t focus on His grace and extend it toward others.
He gave so much for me. He shed His blood. He gave His life. The little babe in the manger that we worship at Christmas grew into the Holy King. He, however, wasn’t the King people were looking for. He didn’t have a court. He didn’t have riches or fame. He was a lowly man from Galilee, but His life and death changed the world forever.
I sit with my cat and look around at my discord. I take a deep breath. God is in charge here not me. I guess, I will find those clips soon. I will have this house ready for our Christmas Eve celebration. After all, really no one knows but my family, me, and, well now, you, my reader that I am still struggling with decorating my home for the season.
No one knows about all that other junk in my heart either except my Spiritual family of the Holy Trinity and me. The junk is standing in my way of celebrating Christ and His birth, death, and resurrection: the complete Christmas story. I lay all my junk out in the open at His feet and ask Him to cleanse it away. Cleanse me and prepare my heart to make room for Him so I can enjoy this Holy Season, amen.
What about you? What junk is standing in your way of celebrating the season. Advent is about preparing the way for Him. Lay it at His feet. Let Him come in and decorate your heart with His cleansing blood and restore you. You can gleam and shine with the beauty of Christmas!
Contributing to these hops today:
Thank you for your thoughtful post on our junk that stands in the way of our preparations. Here are lines from my post that answer your question on what is our junk: “Lately, I have been caught up with the hustle and bustle of the season. I have been constantly moving from one even to the next, with no time to consider the whys. This frenetic pace has left me speechless, frayed, and a bit remorseful.” Have a wonderful holiday preparing in the spiritual way.
Carol Varsalona (@cvarsalona) recently posted…Season of Transformation
I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary and Martha when Jesus visited – Martha was rushing around the house preparing things while Mary was sitting, mesmerized by Jesus. Too often I’m Martha, thinking I need to be doing something for Jesus when really I should be like Mary, leaving the house in disarray to take time to just BE with him.
Great thoughts!
Another FMF neighbor linking up!
Liz recently posted…I am prepared.
Ah yes – how we can get tangled up and lost in all our preparing when we forget first to prepare Him room! Praying you find the clips you want, knowing you found the Grace you need! We are neighbors today over at Kate’s for FMF! Merry Christmas!
~Karrilee~ recently posted…Prepare – A Five Minute Friday post
Thanks Karrillee for the prayers. I relish and need them. They brighten my week too as your comments have. 🙂