Even though my kids are all grown up, and I no longer have the hustle and bustle that comes along with having young children in school, the Christmas season still somehow seems to shrink time.

From the middle of November onward, weeks blur into one another with endless lists: gifts to buy, parties to be thrown, or attend, meals to prepare, service opportunities, and decorations to be put up. Christmas is a season of giving and joy, yet the pace of it can leave us breathless, with our souls depleted before we even reach the manger.

So how do we hold onto Jesus when the worlds demands seem endless? How do we make room in our hearts for the King of Kings amidst the myriad of holiday distractions and to-do lists?

That first Christmas so long ago holds a lesson for us. Think about it; Bethlehem was bustling too. We know that every inn was filled to capacity. People were preoccupied with taxes, travel, and to-do lists of their own. Yet, amidst the chaos, one family carved out space, although in a stable, inconvenient and uncomfortable. Mary and Joseph made room for the saviour to enter the world. It wasn’t ideal. It was less than perfect. But it was enough.

This Advent season, perhaps the call for you and I is not to accomplish more, but to pause more. What if together, we let some things go to make room for something greater? Instead of perfect decorations, we light a simple candle and offer a prayer of gratitude. Instead of rushing to complete our plans, what if we linger over Scripture, soaking in the promises of our Saviour?
Instead of striving for the perfect holiday, we embrace imperfection, knowing our worth rests in Jesus, not our performance. If you’re anything like me, someone who prides themselves on having every detail in place, making sure things look beautiful, these are not small feats to be accomplished.

Mary, in the midst of her exhaustion and uncertainty, "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). She wasn’t consumed with a picture-perfect nursery or hospital outfit. Her focus was intently on fulfilling the promise placed on her, to deliver the Saviour of the world. Advent invites us to do the same. To treasure. To ponder. To slow down and remember: Jesus, and the salvation he brings, is the only gift that truly matters. Surely we can make room for Him.