Prepare Your Heart

I want to start this post by invoking the Holy Ghost to speak through me in the words written here to reach whoever needs to hear this. I have been trying to write for the past couple of weeks, but I haven’t had any inspiration to set me off on the path. Tonight, however, the Lord has put it on my heart to write this post. I am not entirely sure where it will go, but I trust that the Holy Ghost will guide me to write what needs to be written. I have faith that whoever reads this will comprehend what needs to be heard.

Come, Holy Ghost.

As we draw closer to Christmas, it is necessary to prepare our hearts, minds, and souls for the birth of Jesus Christ. I know it seems like it may be too late to prepare yourself for the coming of the Christ child, but rest assured the Savior of the world is waiting for you to invite Him into your heart. You may feel like you’re too far gone. You may feel like you’re unqualified to be loved by God. You may feel like there is no hope. And if you’ve been reflecting on this past year, you may very well feel like everything as you know it is crumbling to pieces.

But there is good news. You are not too far gone. You are not unfit to be loved by the One who made you. You are not worthless; you are precious.* You are not left out; you are wanted. Love has spoken. Let Jesus love you. It seems cheesy, but it’s much harder than it sounds. Giving away the fragility of your heart to someone else is no easy task. Let Jesus meet you where you are. Put down your guard. Make a commitment to have faith. Let the love of Christ pierce your inmost being this Christmas. Getting gifts on Christmas is nice and makes for fond memories. But have you ever thought about what gift you can give Jesus? Have you ever considered that what you are called to give this Christmas is the gift of yourself to the One who gave up everything for you?

“And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5 RSV

Prayer

“O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!”

*Some phrases adapted from the song “Chosen” by Sidewalk Prophets