Are You Ready?

Merry Christmas!

I have heard it over and over again. The voicing of the question continues to mount, becoming increasingly loud and progressively annoying. I hear it in my mind, out on the streets, in the church, and everywhere else you can think of. I'm afraid the question won't go away - at least in the next week or so. I'm sure you have heard it too. "Are you ready for Christmas?"

A good question, depending on how you interpret it. On the one hand, and probably the most popular interpretation, the question is asking if I have all of my Christmas shopping done. If I interpret the question that way, anxiety builds and I am reminded of my ineptness toward buying gifts and the actual pain it brings to my life. Not that I have anything against buying gifts, or receiving them for that matter. It is not something I am good at and it takes a lot of brain and will power to go Christmas shopping. As far as the brain power goes, I need to be careful not to use too much, lest I lose it all (ask my wife).

The least popular interpretation, and one in which I am inclined to espouse, is asking me if I am ready for Christ and the true message He wants to bring to me this season. Am I ready for God to come into the darkness of my life and transform those areas I have neglected this year? Am I ready to embrace the reality of God's love for me and for others? Am I willing to live out of that love? Am I able to lay aside my rigid understandings of God, and embrace the fact that He came to me and to us in a way that was least expected? Am I willing to open myself up to the reality that the baby Jesus came to shine the light of truth into the deepest crevices of my darkened soul?

I guess when it's interpreted that way, the question has much deeper meaning. It also make me more uncomfortable. I have been asking myself these questions and I pray that I can honestly say yes to every one of them. Remember, Jesus' birth is the beginning of the good news story. There is so much more to this birth than giving presents and accepting the gift of the baby Jesus. God is asking me, and maybe you hear Him asking you, "Are you ready to go deeper with me? Are you ready for Christmas?"

"Heavenly Father, thank you for this season of preparation. Prepare me to fully receive the gift You have for me this Christmas. Help me to be ready to go deeper with you and to fully receive the abundant life and light that Jesus brings. In His holy name I pray. Amen."