Making Room for Jesus: Busy Woman Edition

Advent is a time of expectant waiting, days set aside to prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ’s birth and anticipate His return. In 2020, life may have slowed down for many of us, but as 2021 draws to a close, busyness may be starting to creep back in.

The Christmas season can be a remarkably busy time, especially for women. From special events to parties, children’s programs and all that holiday baking, it’s easy for the season to feel anything but peaceful. Whether you’re a mother, wife, aunt, mentor or leader, the days leading up to Christmas can be overwhelming.

So how can you truly help your family prepare their hearts for the season while also taking care of yours? Here are a few tips to help refocus your heart and mind, so that Advent calendar inspires hope and peace rather than stress and anxiety.

Photo by Jessica Delp on Unsplash

1. Find traditions that work for your family. “We love doing Ann Voskamp’s pop-up Advent devotional. Also, we went through Tsh Oxenrider’s Advent Devotional last year, which had sacred music to go along with it, so we would play that while lighting the candles in the dark,” said Emily, a mom and writer in Virginia. “It was really meaningful.” Ashley, a teacher and mother of three, says her family enjoys reading the Old Testament stories in Sally Lloyd Jones’ The Jesus Storybook Bible. “Each story hints at the birth of Christ,” she said, “and leads right up to the Christmas story.” The key here? Your tradition doesn’t have to be elaborate or involve a lot of steps. From singing hymns to doing a daily devotion or reading selections from The Jesus Storybook Bible, every family’s tradition may look different. Don’t waste your time comparing your traditions to someone else’s. Instead, focus on what works for you and helps you and your family to center your minds and hearts on Jesus.
   

2. Take time to nurture your own heart. If you’re a mother, an aunt, a mentor, a church leader—it’s easy to focus on making sure everyone else’s experience of Advent is spectacular while neglecting your own heart. Sarah, a mom of two in Washington state, says that means being intentional about making space in her life. “The number one thing for me is to slow down and leave margin in our plans,” she said. “In years past, I have worked on memorizing a passage relates to Christmas, Luke 2 or Old Testament prophecies,” said Beth, who currently serves as a leader at a denominational ministry. “Spending that time memorizing and meditating on a passage makes me slow down and take the story in better and reflect on all it means that God came to dwell with us.” Advent is an invitation to set aside distractions and focus on Christ. It’s a time to dwell on how He brought light into our darkness at His birth and how His return gives us hope and purpose for today and the future. Carve out some margin in your life in these weeks leading up to Christmas—even if it’s simply five minutes a day—to take a deep breath and focus on what it means to you personally that Jesus took on flesh and dwelt among us.
   

3. Shift your focus. For some of us, the Christmas season quickly centers on checklists. Tree and decorations up? Check. Presents purchased? Check. Cookies, cakes and treats baked? Check. Deadlines met so I can take time off with no worries? Ehhhh. . . rather than focusing on ourselves, our goals and our desires, Advent is also an invitation to lift our eyes to the world around us. “Finding someone to give to is so important,” said Delinia, a mom of a high schooler, college student and young adult. “Otherwise, it’s so easy to lose your way during the busyness of the season.”
   

Christmas is a time of giving for Christians and non-Christians alike, but take some time this year to find small, simple ways you can give away moments of your time, your talents, your skills and, yes, sometimes your money. It could be as simple as donating food or books, baking cookies for a neighbor or paying attention to someone society often overlooks. Ask God to open your eyes to needs around you that you can meet.

Advent isn’t meant to be another checklist to add to your life. Instead, it’s a chance to refocus your heart, your priorities and your schedule on Jesus.

What are you doing during the Advent season to refocus your own heart on Christ? To help your family prepare their hearts to celebrate Christmas? Start the conversation in the comments.