Prepare - A Five Minute Friday post

Last night I had plans to be gone... a Christmas party, complete with food and drinks and karaoke.  Yeah, if you know me at all, you know that you'd have lost me at karaoke. I love music - but I have mercy and know that I am not, um, 'gifted' like that! Blend in in a group - sure... find a way to somewhat harmonize, OK... but it would take a LOT of drinks to make me think this would be a fun way to spend the evening with strangers.  Oh - we went last year and didn't participate... it was fun to watch for awhile, but then the other guests started to notice that we were not playing along!  We had already discussed how we would probably sneak out a little earlier this year, but my Honey was tired from a long week at work and had a few other things on his mind to accomplish so we skipped it and stayed in. Still, I stayed 'unplugged' and didn't party it up for #fmfparty. I hate to miss it because it is always so much fun!  Anyway - this morning, here I sit... ready to write, so let's get to it:

Our Word Prompt is: PREPARE

{GO}

Prepare... oh yes, we are all quite familiar with this word --especially during this time of year! There is a LOT that needs attention... an unusual amount of Bossy Lists, errands to run, gifts to buy... there are just a lot of preparations that need to get done! 

And yet...

I wrote about it awhile ago --about how more than anything else, what we really need is to prepare Him room... 


...to slow and focus and breathe in deep.  You remember a month or so ago, how God was speaking to me through The Lord's Prayer and He said that when we Hallow His Name, He hollows out more room in our hearts for Him. When we call Him Holy, He makes us holy... He does the work... He prepares the room.  He went on to show me that when I hallow His name, He comes in, and swells within me.

Just Wow.

And I had never seen that before, or thought of it that way, and even now as I sit here... I realize, is this not what He did for Mary?  He drew close to her, and she called Him Holy... and He swelled within her. Of course, quite literally with Mary - but He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and I believe with all of my heart that when we slow and breathe and just say His Name... He rushes right on in.  He desires to fill us.

So in all of our preparing, He is desiring for us to partner with Him... to say His name and call it Holy... to sing about Adoring Him and about the Silent Night and the O Holy Night and in all of that singing and saying and hope building up... once again, He is doing the work.  He is preparing us as we prepare for Him.

So yes... do all your preparations... wrap the gifts and sign the cards (or don't... we're all about Grace here, my friends!) but in all of your doing... don't forget to light the candle and say a prayer and remember and make His Name Holy...

{STOP}

Yes... that! Let's do that! Merry, merry Christmas, my friends! In all of our doings this year, let us remember to Prepare Him Room!

Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "PREPARE"


Oh ...the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is!  Five Minute Fridays have been hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  This week we start gathering over at Kate Motaung's.  FMF is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE!  The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write using a prompt that Lisa posts at 10pm Thursday night (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!

P.S. - Today is the LAST day to enter to win the Christmas Giveaway! 
(Winner announced on Saturday!)