Make Room for Christ

The Christmas play was the big event of the year for the children. Each child had been given a part and appropriately dressed. However, there seemed to be one character in the drama that was having trouble with his lines--the innkeeper. All the little boy had to do was appear as if opening a door, look at Mary and Joseph, and say in a harsh tone, "There Are No Rooms!" You see, Mary and Joseph would go to several doors until finally finding a place to stay. Knowing that Mary and Joseph were the parents of Jesus, the little boy just could not do it.

Finally the time came. He was convinced to do his part. They had told him that he was not a "bad" boy for saying his lines. So Mary and Joseph came to the place. The little boy innkeeper looked at them and with all of his might said, "There Are No Rooms!" You could hear the sigh of the director of the play. But he wasn't finished. As Mary and Joseph turned to go away in another direction, the innkeeper shouted, "But you would be welcomed to come have a cup of coffee!"

Is there room in your life for a Savior to be born?

Many of us have filled our days going hither and yonder, over the hill and over the dale to grandma's house and back. At the end of the day we have fallen into the bed totally exhausted while thinking of still more things to be done. We have our calendar jam packed with every occasion. There is no space or place for Jesus to be born.

I remind myself often that space and time in my life is finite. The only way that I can increase my capacity for love is to remove the hatred that occupies the space. The amount of love in my life is in proportion to the removal of hatred and all that goes with it. I have to make room for the love of Christ to be born.

Time is also finite. Each of us has twenty four hours a day with an allotted time for our life span. I wonder if we are able to look back at our life that we will have spent time in things that matter. I have to tell myself to guard certain areas of my schedule--my reading, prayer, family time, and habits of health. I have to make space in my life schedule for God to do what God can do.

We are like that little boy innkeeper. We know who Mary and Joseph are. We know that Christ was born. The question now is can Christ be born again in our lives? Will we make room for the Christ?

Today Christ is born. May Christ be born in your life!