Prepare our hearts to listen

Luke sits in front of me right now, taking pictures of our Manger, with the Wise Men lined up to honor the King of Kings.

I don't like stores pushing Thanksgiving out of the way to make more time for Christmas shopping, but my children's enthusiasm for our manger is a bit of the holiday rush I don't mind indulging.

You can tell I took this picture after my camera
decided to stop focusing.  But it is still captures
such a sweet moment!

I was reminded today that Advent is a time to prepare -- to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord.

Set aside all of the cooking, decorating, shopping, and wrapping.  Are our hearts ready to welcome Him Christmas morning?

As I read through the Magnificat today, I saw verse after verse imploring me to listen.

"Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people." (Jer. 7:23)

"O today that you would listen to His voice! Harden not your hearts ..." (from Ps. 95)

"Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel." (Jer. 10:1)

"Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." (1 Sam 3:9)

As we somehow find time for all of the other important things this Christmas season, let us first make sure we make time to listen in prayer.  I say this to myself more than anyone else, because while I know God is at work in our family, and I am seeing Him walk with us through some challenging times, I am finding it so hard to slow down and listen.

Why is that? Am I afraid of what He might say?  Why is it sometimes so much easier to just let the swirl of busy-ness continue on around us, to let the noise fill our ears and numb us to what He may be trying to tell us?

He is trustworthy.  He loves us.  And if we choose to listen, we can only benefit from whatever wisdom and grace He may pour into our soul.

The view outside my front door: I am thankful for this beauty!

I was truly blessed to listen to Father Jacques Philippe speak a couple weeks ago about finding and maintaining Christ's peace in our hearts.  He discussed a kind of peace that will help incline our hearts to listen.

In speaking about Adoration, he said, "When we simply come into God's presence, there is something of God's peace that comes into our lives.”

So, listening, does not have to be -- cannot be -- merely one more thing to cross off our to-do list this Advent.  It's not work in the same way as those other activities.  It's being in the Lord's presence, faithfully, trustingly, simply.  If we persevere in the prayer Philippe describes -- in "the most deep and beautiful prayer, (which) is to give God permission to love me just as I am,” He will speak.  And we will be there not just to hear, but to listen.

There is no better gift we could give, or receive, this Christmas.