"Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room"

Are you getting excited about Christmas? I know I sure am!!! Last week, Tiffany, Ethan, and I had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World for my birthday. There is little doubt in my mind that this is indeed the “happiest place on earth.” As always, we enjoyed the rides, shows, food, and just the immersive Disney experience. This time of year, however, Disney is extra special as all of their parks are decked out for the Christmas season.

As you could probably imagine, the majority of Disney’s Christmas celebration is what some would call more secular in nature. There is an emphasis on Santa Claus and the fun festive attributes of Christmas. This, however, is not exclusive, though, and that is what helped make the weekend so special. There was a noticeable balance between secular Christmas music and traditional Christmas carols. For every time “Jingle Bells” was heard, there was an “O Come All Ye Faithful.” I often found myself walking through the streets of Disney World singing beloved Christmas carols with enough gusto to embarrass Tiffany and Ethan.

One of the highlights of the trip, however, occurred on Saturday. We had gone to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see their spectacle of dancing lights. If you have not seen it, it is amazing! There are five-million lights on ten miles of wire adorning all of the structures in one area, and when certain songs come on, the spectators are treated to a choreographed dancing performance of the lights. All of this while snow falls from the sky on an 80-degree day. It’s truly magical. But that alone is not what made the experience.

In the midst of this exquisite spectacle of dancing lights, there is a gorgeous nativity that sits at the front of this one building. It might not be front-and-center in the display, but it is by no means minimized or hidden. There in the midst of this gaudy display is a visual reminder of that very first Christmas, where Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus were in the manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. It caught my eye and warmed my heart to be basking in the glow of American extravagance and see a prominent display of what Christmas is truly all about!

As it caught my eye from across the way, I found myself light up with Christmas cheer and drawn to that place. Sure, Disney is a world-wide phenomenon that has a vast multi-cultural appeal, but for that one moment in time, the thing that impressed me the most is they include the true meaning of Christmas in their celebration. True, it might not be as “in your face” as some would like, hope, or expect, but when mega retailers shy away from wishing someone a Merry Christmas (despite the fact that nearly 75% of their annual income is earned during the Christmas shopping season), I find it quite encouraging that Disney will still wish someone a Merry Christmas, play sacred music, and proudly display a nativity scene. Could this help make it the “happiest place on earth?” Well, I guess it cannot hurt, can it?

All of this begs the question for me…how are you preparing yourself for Christmas? Are you decking your halls with decorations? Are you filling the air with festive scents and sounds? Is your heart being filled with the true meaning of Christmas? It is easy for us to get sidetracked by the commercial celebration of this season, but in the end, it is still about the fact that GOD so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. Despite cultural cynicism, this truth has the power to melt even the coldest of hearts.

This coming week in worship, we will be asking you to contemplate if you are making room in your heart for Christmas. This Sunday, as we explore the love of Advent, we must seriously, open our hearts to receive the Christ child and the gift that He gives. It is what changes the world and begins with a change in your heart.

I want to leave you today with a line from the famous song, “Joy to the World.” Though this song was not initially intended to be a Christmas carol, it has been adopted as such. In that song, the advice is given, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” As we prepare for the last Sunday of Advent and the glory of Christmas, may this be what orders our prayers. May every heart prepare room for the Lord Jesus, and may it begin with yours!

Merry Christmas!