Written: 12/21/15; edited 12/15/22
I donāt know about you, but…

Granted, itās 70 freakinā degrees and our only hope for a white Christmas lies in a water and sodium polyacrylate amalgamation (thanks,Ā El NiƱo blowtorch).Then againā¦itās not like Christmas hinges on what can be tangibly feltā¦be it an emotion, a moment, or an unfavorable teleconnection with ridging tendencies.
Of course, you know me; I could go on about the Grinch-like weather and other seasonal interferences like a mopeyĀ cotton-headed ninny muggins. But I figure:
- Ā Nobody got time for thatĀ and…Ā
- Thereās way too much goodness worth discussing.
āCause while the weather outside is NOT frightfulā¦with certain situations far from delightfulā¦truth is: God has given us a place that is rightfulā¦whereĀ all is still wellĀ andĀ all is still bright.
But perhaps youāre like many who arenāt feeling so hot right now, fatigued from a difficult year and/or stressed by the perilous times in which we live.If so, then I encourage you:Ā take heartā¦forĀ you are not (or ever) aloneā¦nor are you hopeless, helplessā¦or unworthy of receiving the kind of rest and peace this time of year has to offer.
āCause when we talk about Christmas, weāre not talking about some annual tradition, a candlelit spectacle, or an excuse to be off work. Rather, weāre talking about anĀ expectant hopeĀ made possible by God who has set things right for us (Jeremiah 33:16), who remains true to His promisesā¦all the while giving us a reason to know joyĀ andĀ fear not.
Thus, when we pause to consider what Christmas really means, we ultimately set ourselves up to look upā¦and experience a joy that merges with a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Consider the innkeeper inĀ Luke 2ā¦a character in the birth narrative who gets a bad rap due, in part, to his lack of mention. As a kid, I had this idea that the innkeeper was this snarky, ArabĀ Ken JeongĀ type who opened the door, glanced at Mary and Joseph, and blared, āNo room for youāā¦Ā only to slam the door in their face.
But as Iāve revisited the story in recent years, Iāve come to realize the innkeeper was not only fulfilling his part in the prophecy (Micah 5:2), but was also doing his best to extend joy into Mary and Josephās situation through hospitality.
You seeā¦at this point in the narrative, we often underestimate the contrast between what was being felt versus what was being done.Personally, I believe the innkeeper was being true to his word (i.e. āthereās no room in the innā), based on the time of the day, the time of yearā¦plus you never lie to a pregnant woman whoās dilating on a donkey.
Yet, while itās very brief in text, what the innkeeper does between the lines in offering his only āstableā option is actually super profound.
āCause what he did, in purest essenceā¦wasĀ prepare Him roomĀ (i.e. He offered the only thing he could offer in the moment, wrapped it with humble honestyā¦andĀ counted it all joy).So when you think about itā¦the innkeeper, despite his minor role, captures what Christmas (and joy for that matter) is all about:Ā being intentional in making room for Jesus inĀ the midst of our chaos…and laying our burdens before the Lord so thatĀ the voids left behind can be filled with expressions of honor.
I love this short put out a few years back from The Skit Guys…
Per the above, I encourage you, my friends, to consider your Christmas contribution to Jesus this yearā¦whether it be your time, your walls, your fears…and to seal it by preparing Him room in your hearts…all for the sake of saying,Ā āJesus, you are my joy, the answer to lifeā¦and the reason for the season.āFor when you ready yourself to receive Christ, you repeat the sounding joy by also receiving the continuous outflow of His blessings and graceā¦which is exactly why God sent His only begotten Son in the first place.
On behalf of Lyssah & I, we want want to wish you a very…

Cover graphic creds: Subsplash