DTEB, “EMPTYING MYSELF FOR CHRISTMAS”
“O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee.” (“Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne”)
“Let every heart prepare him room.” (“Joy to the World”)
My heart is full this Christmas, but not necessarily full of good things. I am full of regrets about my past. Particularly, I regret how I treated (and did not treat) my family. I have been selfish and controlling and sometimes even cruel. Sometimes, I wonder if I have the regrets or if they have me.
And then there is anger toward those I feel have hurt me. Strangely enough, these are often the same people that I have treated very badly. Amazing how that works out, isn’t it! And, of course, anger easily becomes resentment and self-pity.
And then, there are fears for the future. I am old and my body is beginning to break down. My mind is not quite as quick as it never was to begin with. I worry. I worry about my wife’s health. I worry if I can be useful to God any more. I worry about worrying.
So, I was out driving on this cold, rainy day, when I heard the hymn “Joy to the World.” One phrase says, “Let every heart prepare him room.”
So, I emptied my heart out of all its regrets, all its anger, all its self-pity, all its worries. I set out all this crap at the curb of my life, and said to Jesus, “Okay, Lord, there is room for you now! Come on in!”
Guess what? He did!
Recent Comments