Joy to the World:

“Let every heart prepare him room (And Heaven and nature sing)”

Written by Elizabeth Beveridge

There’s “Busy” and there’s “Too Busy”.

Busy is good. Busy brings in money to support a family or to help those in need; it keeps the house clean or the garden tidy. Busy looks out for friends and neighbours. Busy helps us to sleep well at night.

Too Busy isn’t so good. Too Busy forgets things, does things badly and makes mistakes. Too Busy gets angry and frustrated; it has no time to stop and chat or to lend a hand. Too Busy has us lying awake at night, worrying. Too Busy runs out of time for God. It will get to Christmas Day exhausted, physical preparations having shut out any spiritual ones, and will wonder where all the time has gone.

So how are we (how am I) to keep Too Busy at arm’s length? My heart really wants to “Prepare Him room”, to be ready to meet Jesus anew. This isn’t the hidden God that Moses knew, but the amazing miracle of God coming to share our human lives.

Maybe it’s a question of being more organised, more focused, of making a plan for each day and not getting distracted or diverted. Some jobs can be left till another time, or done by someone else. Sometimes it’s OK to say “No”. In the plan there is space for God, that precious time when nothing else intrudes.

Ah yes, but I’ve tried this before. How can I make it work? There’s really only one way. I know God wants this to happen, so I need to remember to rely on him. With him I can handle Advent, so that by Christmas Day heaven and nature (and I) will indeed sing.