by Wayne Faison

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Every year Christians from around the world participate in the Season of Advent. In the Church, Advent encompasses four weeks of expectation toward the coming of Jesus on Christmas morning. For me, this expectation never falls short of being the most exciting time of the year, as a divine sense of joy begins to saturate every ounce of my being. Certainly, for me, the Season of Advent provides a greater sense of meaning for one of my favorite Christmas carols, “Joy to the World.”

Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth receive her king

Let every heart prepare him room

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing

Interestingly enough, the words of this Christmas carol that seem to touch me more deeply this year than in any other year are the words: “Let every heart prepare him room.”  

Not to get too personal here, but a lot has been going on in and around my life lately that has increased my levels of stress. I’m almost certain that I’m not the only one. As many of us know, high levels of stress can cause a variety of negative impacts on our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. As a matter of fact, for many of us, just merely entering into the Christmas season carries with it a certain unique level of stress of its own.

The question I have for myself, and others who are probably like me but who are too afraid to admit it: How can we begin “preparing him room” in our hearts during this current Season of Advent, if we tend to experience high levels of stress during the holiday season?  

Might I suggest that as we enter this Season of Advent, we take time to reflect upon the holiday we just celebrated, which was Thanksgiving.  Isn’t it interesting how quickly we forget about all the things we are thankful for, primarily due to the anticipated hustle and bustle associated with the holiday season? I firmly believe that we can “prepare him room” in our hearts by carrying over and continuing our thankfulness from Thanksgiving Day into this Season of Advent.  

My Beloved in Christ, the Lord is coming, so let us receive our king with a spirit of thanksgiving.