Quiet is probably about the last thing I think of at Christmastime. There’s hustle and bustle and seemingly a million things to do to get ready. But you know what? Very few things on the list actually get me ready for the coming of our Savior.  I think of a line from the beloved song “Joy to the World” which says, “let every heart prepare Him room” and I wonder what helps my heart get ready? Baking cookies doesn’t do it. Buying gifts for my loved ones doesn’t do it. Sending Christmas cards doesn’t do it. Decorating the house doesn’t do it. Going to parties and events doesn’t do it either. No, heart-work takes less pomp and circumstance and more quiet—more time in the Word, more time in prayer and more time reflecting on the gift of a Savior that is God incarnate. But we can claim the things we do to help ready our hearts too. We can use the busyness of the season to foster the reflections of our hearts.

Here’s some ideas for you and your family:

• Wrapping-Covering our Christmas gifts so the recipient won’t know what’s in them and making them look festive to go under the Christmas tree can make wrapping a fun chore. As you wrap up gifts sometimes how they look on the outside can give clues about what’s on the inside. Talk about how the things people do on the outside can give us clues about what’s going on inside of them. How can we give good clues about who lives inside of us?
• Decorating the Tree-As you hang ornaments on your Christmas tree, there is much opportunity for faith talks. There are the nativity ornaments which is an obvious opportunity. But there’s also the Baptism ornament that gives you the opportunity to talk about Baptism and what God did through it. There’s the trip down memory lane of when you got married and all that God has done in your marriage. There’s the ones from Great-Grandma’s collection that she always said reminded her of God’s providence and rich blessings. There’s the angel on top that reminds us of God’s messengers. There are rich traditions that you can use to point your family to Jesus.
• Seeing Christmas Lights-Lights remind us that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), “a light the darkness has not overcome.” (John 1:5) Talk about the contrast between light and darkness. Talk about how the lights look so much prettier in the darkness because they stand out from it. Talk about how Jesus stands out from the darkness of this world and how we can shine His light in this dark world too.
• Advent Wreath-Having a home Advent wreath to light during your family’s daily or weekly devotional times, can add significance to your time together. It can also help give a framework for the Advent wreath we light at church. Each candle in the Advent wreath helps us expectantly await the coming of our Savior. The more candles are lit, the closer His arrival is. Talk about how it is to wait for something we really want to be here. Talk about how we await Jesus coming again as He has said He would.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 charges us to talk about faith as we go about life, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the way, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Foster faith talks and quiet moments of faith-filled reflections throughout this Christmas season so that you and your family’s hearts may “prepare HIM room.”