Prepare Our Hearts

December is fast approaching, and we are preparing for two great events. One, the beginning of the Advent season and celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth. Two, the birth of our fourth child! Two incredibly exciting, delighting, life-changing events, all in the same month!

We have a little more than a week left until our baby is due to enter the world – though we all know they don’t go on our schedules, I’m trying my best to be prepared for the arrival. The freezer is stocked with some tasty meals, the car seat is bought, the bag is packed (though this is the first time in 4 babies I’ve packed BEFORE I went into labour :D) and all that’s left to do is set up the cradle and hope she waits for a couple Christmas parties to pass before making her grand entrance!

Through the month of December, we plan to take off school and focus on our Advent preparations, family time, bonding with baby, baking and hopefully finding opportunities to serve and bless others. As part of the iHomeschool Network‘s Ultimate Christmas Blog Hop going on, I’ll be writing about our homeschool plans through the holidays on Saturday (December 1st).

I haven’t written on here in 10 days. That’s a long stretch for me, and I’ve been feeling the pressure and pull and frustration at not having anything to write. It’s not for lack of desire, but rather a lack of time, and lack of inspiration. The reason? Being a busy mommy to 3, almost 4. Tired. Appointments and schedules. A non-existent or inconsistent quiet time. My mornings have been difficult for getting up. And when I have gotten up, I have allowed my time to be devoured by distractions, thus leading to this dry and weary place that I’ve been in lately.

This morning I determined to put an end to it. Poured out my heart on paper, real paper, as I asked “Why are you downcast, o my soul?”, knowing immediately the answer being the drought of influence from the only Water that can quench my thirst, the only Food that can satiate my hunger.

Prepare our hearts O God, help us to receive

Break the hard and stony ground, help our unbelief

Plant Your Word down deep in us, cause it to bear fruit

Open up our ears to hear, lead us in Your truth

The writing doesn’t matter – the inspiration comes as I am fed by the Spirit. But what bothers me the most is the dryness, the emptiness, the fatigue and weariness from not being wholly devoted to his word. So here I come, committed once again, to keep my way pure…

By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
(Psalm 119:9-10 ESV)

Show us Christ, Show us Christ

O God, reveal Your glory, through the preaching of Your Word

Until every heart confesses Christ is Lord!

Then, after all this, as He always does, God confirmed even more the message to me. Two friends wrote today about what I was feeling, without knowing what I was feeling. My friend Leigh Anne about motherhood, looking to Jesus, HIS strength made perfect in our weakness; this I connected the dots to – how I had allowed the pressures, strains, stresses of life overwhelm instead of letting God lead. My friend Rebecca, about mothers and failure and the focus; this dropped me to my knees.

Your Word is living light upon our darkened eyes

Guards us through temptations, makes the simple wise

Your Word is food for famished ones, freedom for the slave

Riches for the needy soul, come speak to us today

Preparing for Advent means preparing our hearts. To receive the written Word, and the Living Word. Last year I wrote about Making Way for the King – how I wanted SO BADLY for our kids focus to be on Christ, and not presents, decorations, holidays, etc. – and how badly that backfired. This year, I just want to prepare our hearts to receive him. However that ends up looking. To be ready, wholly available. For Him.

I’ve shared this song before, and the message is so rich. The words throughout the post are the words of the verses and chorus.

So if I’m silent on here, it’s because I’m being quiet, looking for Him; or being busy, teaching and loving on my children; or being still, waiting for what He wants me to hear, say, do. And enjoying the smells and sounds of a newborn :0)