Tag Archives: following Jesus

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Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Many of us have spent lots of time recently decorating for Christmas, making cookies and other special goodies. We prepare our home inside and out with festive decorations. If you are like me – the ornaments and decorations hold many special memories themselves and getting them out and on display reminds me of happy times in years past.

I can’t give an accurate account of the amount of time I spend in holiday preparations, yet it is significant.

We sang my second favorite Christmas carol at our church service today – “Joy to the World”. The chorus includes these words – “let every heart, prepare Him room…” A friend, Kathryn Boyer, shared after worship that God had convicted her about that phrase. Was she preparing room in her heart for Jesus? The baby born of the virgin Mary. The promised Messiah. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Holy Spirit nudged me – no, it was more like a jab – and challenged me to consider the condition of my heart. Was there room being prepared in my heart for Jesus? Amidst all my decorating, baking, planning and preparing for Christmas was my heart ready for Jesus – the very reason that I celebrate Christmas???

What does it mean to “prepare Him room”?

  1. My first thought on this is making space in my busy schedule. Am I so busy I put aside prayer, Bible reading, worship, and/or fellowship? I must prioritize my time with Jesus.
  2. I must not let my preparations for Christmas push my relationship with Jesus – whose birth is why we celebrate Christmas – aside.
  3. Instead my very preparations should themselves “prepare room”. I can use decorations that celebrate the birth of Jesus and point to the reality of His birth.
  4. My baking and cooking can bless others by showing them love and care.
  5. Jesus wanted us, His followers, to share His love and meet the needs of those around us.
  6. Inviting others to share our celebration of Christmas is inviting Jesus. Jesus taught us that if we serve others, we are serving Him.

Preparing Him room in our hearts requires us to be intentional with our thoughts and actions.

Jesus tells us, His followers in Matthew 6:19-21 –

9 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

The Amplified Version explains the meaning this way – “where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.”

If my celebration of Christmas centers on how amazing my lights and decorations are, how many dozens of cookies I can bake, or how stressed I am with all the grandchildren coming, I am NOT preparing room for Jesus. One step into eternity my collection of holiday china won’t mean a thing.

I desire to center my celebration of Jesus’ birth by preparing my heart to honor and worship Him. “May every heart prepare Him room.”

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You Are Mine

Four Generations 1979

Gayle, Hannah, Svea, and Esther

My Grandmother, an amazing woman who emigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1920, lived the “American Dream”. She left the poverty of northern Europe between the two World Wars and worked as a maid, then a cook for a wealthy Chicago family. She met my grandfather through a friend, married, had three daughters, raised two grandsons, and began oil painting at age 52 when she had an empty nest.

Yet those facts don’t tell the whole story. Svea was a force. She had a deep love for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and shared that love whenever she could. She quoted Bible verses to all of us – sometimes out of context to get her point across – yet she truly loved God’s Word.

She fiercely loved her family, and made holidays, especially Thanksgiving, a feast of food, love, and laughter. I have two brothers and 5 male cousins and we all had the “privilege” of sitting at the “piggy table” (in the kitchen) while the adults ate in peace in the dinning room with china and crystal. I smile thinking about those meals. We laughed so hard that our stomachs ached as those boys jockeyed for attention as the most hilarious. “Pass the rolls” meant a literal “pass” and missing the catch sent the boys into hoots of derision. To this day I am petrified about catching anything. (thanks Tommy)

Every once in a while, my Grandmother would stick her head in the kitchen and admonish us to “keep it down” and then retreat back to the dining room and the civilized conversation. We wouldn’t have traded the dining room for the piggy table any day! Oh, by the way, the food was DELICIOUS!! Svea was an exceptional cook.

After my grandfather passed away and Grandma lived alone for several years, she had a stroke and then moved in with my parents who were then living near us in North Carolina. Grandma suffered another stroke and then went to live in a care center for rehabilitation. She thrived in that environment, enjoying the social interaction and bingo sessions all the while continuing to paint. She had a solo exhibit of her paintings for her 90th birthday!

As she turned 95, Svea began to fail, yet her spirit was strong! Our daughter, Salem, became a CNA through her high school health occupations classes and did a rotation at the care center where Grandma lived. Grandma was forgetting names but recognized Salem. She would walk through the center pushing her wheelchair and when she saw Salem, she would say – “You are mine”. Then she would let everyone know around her that Salem “was hers”. Svea was so proud to have family there and wanted everyone to know.

Recalling Svea’s love for all of us in her family, it reminds me that our Heavenly Father loves us fiercely with His perfect love. He has called us by name. He never forgets who we are – He says “You are Mine”.

Isaiah 43:1-3 says –

43 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for the legacy of my grandmother – Svea Elise Anderson Rohner. Her prayers for me and example of love for Jesus have impacted my life eternally. I pass that on now to my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild.

Remember – we are called by His name – we are His.

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Diversity of Color

These are all hydrangeas that grew in our yard this summer and into the fall. We had a very dry fall and these blooms started drying while they were still attached to the plant. Notice the color!

I have never had such a variety of color from dried blooms – and I have been drying blooms for years!

In 1986 we stayed with long time family friends – the Scattergoods – who had a lovely home on Lake Norman. Phil, myself, and our four children were guests for a night coming and going from the airport in Charlotte. I remember commenting on the lovely dried hydrangeas Mrs. Scattergood had on her table. She shared with me the following steps that I have used ever since to have beautiful dried blooms throughout the winter.

  • cut blooms in the fall after a few cool nights
  • place stems in about 2 inches of water in a vase that supports blooms
  • let the water evaporate
  • blooms will remain intact and have color depending on original color, type of hydrangea, and weather conditions during bloom season

The diversity of the color has been a special enjoyment for me this year. I have had all light caramel color blooms in the past, many blue blooms that kept their color for a month or so, but not the variety of this year. How lovely of our Creator to bless us with such diversity of color!

This situation has caused me to think of the amazing diversity we have throughout creation. The variety of plants, animals, and all living things – especially humans – points to God’s plan for uniqueness from the very start. That list from the first garden in Genesis sets the stage for the glorious array encompassing creation. This diversity is something to celebrate as we acknowledge God as creator. This variety is not chance – but God’s intention from the beginning. Think of how much difference there is in our families, our communities, and our churches.

How boring our world would be if all flowers were the same color?

How boring our world would be if all people looked and thought alike?

How blessed we are to know the Author of Creation – the Author of our salvation!

I recently listened to scholar and Bible teacher Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin in this podcast recommended by our daughter, Abigail. I have attached it so that if you are interested you can listen. I was blessed by the way Dr. McLaughlin celebrates the diversity in the Body of Christ and how we are all blessed by that diversity. God’s plan from the beginning….

#In my Garden with God