I wrote this post several years ago for God-Sized Dreams. The words still speak truth and remind me of the approaching holiday season. I love the idea of preparing not only my home but my heart and soul also. Join me as we dive into this idea of “preparing the way” and what that means for each of us.
Fall is becoming a distant memory. The chill in the air reminds me to search for my gloves, scarf, and earmuffs. The leaves hang on in places, but barrenness stretches across the landscape. A silent chant begins to crescendo each morning as I reluctantly crawl out of the warmth of my blankets.
Prepare Ye the Way! Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
A Pause in the Busyness
Holiday madness is in full swing but I find myself pushing back against the tide of busyness. I begin the chant again.
Prepare Ye the Way! Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
I press pause on my to-do list and pull out my Bible. As I turn to the Gospels searching for the familiar words, I sit down ready to read and exhale the stress I’ve been holding inside.
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation. Luke 3:4-6
John the Baptist preached these words, first spoken by Isaiah the prophet, to the people in the countryside of Jordan. The foreshadowing proclaimed in them fill me with hope and a new understanding of how perfectly God fits the pieces of our history and future together.
[Tweet “John the Baptist foreshadowed how God fits the pieces of our history and future together. #TellHisStory”]
Our lives reflect the seasons. We journey through times of busyness, barrenness, waiting or ones producing much fruit. The beauty is how God faithfully takes each season and uses it for His good.
John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord. His timing and preparation paved the way for Jesus. John’s work took place in the wilderness. His dreaming and preaching began in an unlikely place, but his part of God’s story was essential. Whether we are the main character in God’s story or a member of the crowd, we are needed and essential.
How to Prepare
I read the words of Luke again. I whisper, “Prepare ye the way” and prayed for wisdom. How can I move forward amidst all the distractions? What can I do to keep my focus during the upcoming season? Will I allow God to prepare my heart when I’m in a wilderness season of waiting?
My life the last few years looked like a series of transitions. The time crept slowly until I began to allow myself to dream in earnest. I prayed and dreamt some more. God showed me glimpses of what my future looked like. I prayed again, but this time for patience in the waiting. Piece by piece the dream became my reality. My heart opened to receive the gift that God extended in the process of embracing the next step. But first, I allowed myself to dream.
Let Yourself Dream
In my dreaming, God showed me…
That waiting is not only a time of preparation but a time for God to work behind the scenes putting the pieces together.
How hope plays out when our faith is engaged and becomes hope-fulfilled.
An unexpected time of transition is God’s gift to us when we allow the slow down to become a time of rest and renewal.
That praying for dreams to come true prepares our hearts for all God is going to do.
No matter what the season, He cherishes our dreams and weaves them into our story as He is able.
It began with one chant….
Prepare Ye the Way! Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
It ended with named dreams and a promising future. God carefully held my longing in His hands and set it free as I prayed for His will to be done.
[Tweet “God held my dreams in His hands and set them free as I prayed for His will to be done. #newpost #TellHisStory #linkup”]
The blessing of dreams is a gift we give ourselves. The prayer we pray for our dreams to come true is our invitation to God to unfold our heart’s deepest desires.
God invites us to dream big and release the results to Him. What would it look like this holiday season if you stepped out of the usual busyness by pressing pause and allowing God to fill the space reserved for the dreams of your heart?
Blessings in the wilderness! May all your God-driven dreams come true!
Photo by Eric Andrikaitis on Unsplash
Do you know? Did you hear? The King is coming! I love everything about Advent but especially the chance to press pause on busy and make room to prepare my heart for the birth of Our Savior. This year I am inviting you along to join me.
Each Sunday of Advent, if you are a subscriber, you will receive a little bit of goodness straight into your inbox. Together we can dive as deep or as little as we wish. The best part is that each week we can hang out together reflecting, praying, and discovering a deeper understanding of Advent. Consider this your personal invitation for four weeks of slowing down in the waiting as we prepare the way for the Lord.
Subscribe today so you don’t miss a thing and in the process receive a free Advent brochure of scriptures, stillness, and songs to posture your heart this season. (Coming real soon!!! 😉 )
i love the idea of pressing pause during the holiday season. But it is sooooo hard. I am willing to give it a try. Thank you. Maree
It is hard but so worth the effort. I am praying that as you seek God He reveals ways for you to slow down this holiday season.
A broken wrist contributed to my eraser marks in my scheduler! And most likely will not be without a cast for the entirety of this season. Maybe I could pencil in “dream…”
Oh no! That’s awful. That is not the way you want to begin your holidays. Praying you heal quickly and find time for many “dreams.”
Thank you for this. I am going to be praying about what God would have me do to prepare my heart. laurensparks.net
You’re welcome! I am joining you in prayer that you hear from God as you slow down this season.
I love the thought of pressing pause during the holiday season. It could bring back some of the joy that is lost in the busyness. It’s my goal this year. Praying I can do it!
I know you can press pause even with two grandbabies!! 😉 Praying you find time for stillness and silence with God as you prepare your heart for His coming.
I remember this post on GSD and it’s as good today as it was then. xo
Aww! Thank you! I loved writing for GSD. I wish it didn’t end.
Thank you for the line about praying for our dreams. I’ve never really thought about this before.
You seem to be the type of person who dreams a lot. Maybe it is your adventurous spirit. Sweet dreams, my friend!
We can lose sight of God’s love in the busyness of life & especially in this season of celebration, that for many is filled with grief for broken family relationships.
Dreaming big in God, I must confess that is something I haven’t done for a long time! Thank you Mary for the challenge!
Bless you,
Jennifer
I have taken the time the last five years to slow down during the holidays and change my focus to God. It has made such a difference in how I handle the holiday busyness and what is important during this time. I pray you make time to dream and see what God may do.
“God invites us to dream big and release the results to Him.”
Love this, Mary! I’ve always had big dreams; but I try my best to be conscious of the promise found in Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
I try to delight in Him more than in my dreams.
Great reminder! God does love when we delight in Him and from this place, He loves to delight in us too. I imagine you are a big dreamer and have been successful at many.
This was beautiful. What spoke to me was God wanting to dream. I haven’t thought much about that. And that we need to prepare our hearts for this coming season.
Thank you for being here. God loves when we dream. I hope you allow yourself to dream and time to just be with God this season.
Oh, Mary, I am so glad you will be sharing your Advent meditations again. I have loved them so much in previous years! And I love this thought that the Lord showed you also: “An unexpected time of transition is God’s gift to us when we allow the slow down to become a time of rest and renewal.” May I cling to Him in trust also during these days of rest & renewal here too. Blessings to you Dear Friend.
I love Advent and I’m excited to share a bit of my heart and some resources for all of you throughout the season. I continue to pray for you as you seek Him for answers with your health. May you find rest and renewal in your process.
I love this, Mary! As you point out, praying for God’s will to be done is such an important part of this process. And it’s such a comfort to know that has a specific purpose for each season, even those that seem useless to us. 🙂
God’s purpose is perfect for each of us. It is comforting to know that He knows each of us intimately. I’m joining you in prayer for God to do His will in and through us.
Pursuing our dreams and God given callings is so important and John the Baptist is the perfect man and example of that kind of surrender to the Lord’s plans. Thanks so much for encouraging us with this post pulled from “yesterday” but is just as relevant today, Mary! Happy Thanksgiving in advance!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too. It’s good to see you here today. I love the significance of John the Baptist to the overall story of Jesus. May we allow God to lead our hearts this season.
Beautiful post, Mary. I have found that waiting is often a time of preparation in my life too. Patience is something I pray for on a regular basis. God does invite us to dream. I need to be still and patient to see what the shapes of those dreams can be.
When I was younger, waiting was almost considered a dirty word in my mind. Now I am finding that I really like seasons of waiting. God does so much work in me and through me during this time. I am praying that God continues to give you the patience you need.
I’m beginning to soak in John 1 for my Advent preparation this year, and John the Baptist is mentioned there in such a humble way–“he was not that light.”
And there’s so much that I’m NOT! This is a gift to receive, and I can settle into the peaceful acceptance of all that I am and all that I’m not as well.
Thank you for leading us in a joyful heart preparation for gratitude and for Jesus’s first coming.
John 1 is the perfect way to prepare for this Advent season. I love that John the Baptist is part of the story of Jesus. It is just another one of those details that makes the Bible a story that is God-breathed and God-ordained. Hope you join me during Advent.
Mary, so glad you reminded me to not get swept away in the chaos of the season but to rest in the peace this season brings. Beautiful post!
I’m praying we all make room in our hearts and souls for God this season and throughout the year. Thank you for your kind words.
This post brings a smile to my face this morning, friend. The timing is perfect! I woke up feeling stressed–waiting on an approval for the house we applied for–and preparing our upcoming move December 7th, Lord willing! You’re reminding me of how much I need a bit of stillness each day.
Whew! Moving is stressful any time of the year but especially around the holidays. Oh, and waiting for approval on a house-I can’t even! I am praying big prayers for you. I know how hard house hunting and house buying can be. Love you, friend!
We’ve just experienced answers to two very-long awaited prayers. Waiting can be hard, but God works through it in our hearts. And we appreciate the answer so much when it comes!
Praising God with you for the answers to your prayers. Waiting is hard but not when you know God. He is the peace and hope in our waiting.
Mary, what a beautiful post. Yes, yes. I need to remember to step out of the busy flow and spend time daily with my father. In those places that feel barren, the water of His word is what helps me continue walking through.
And this: “The blessing of dreams is a gift we give ourselves. The prayer we pray for our dreams to come true is our invitation to God to unfold our heart’s deepest desires.”
This spoke to a place in my heart I didn’t expect. I’m going to be pondering it. Thank you, my friend.
Yes, prepare ye the way Lord in my life! Prepare my heart for what You have in store!
Mary, this is a beautiful post that has very much been something in my mind in recent days. It’s been a focus that I want to remain resting in Him through the busyness of the season!
May we rest together in all God has for us this holiday season and throughout the year.I’m praying for you to release your busyness and grab the rest God has for you.
I know you to be a person with dreams. God is holding them for you just waiting for you to say yes and take that first step. He’s ready so I pray you find the strength to take him up on his invitation.
Thank you for the reminder to celebrate the coming of the Lord! I love the way you wove it together, reminding me of how the past and future connect in Him.
It’s easy to just focus on the present because of the busy we involve ourselves in but God is a God of the past and the future. It is a blessing to read about the progression of how intentional God was in writing out His own story.
Beautiful post, Mary! It is so important not to be swept along in the holiday madness and all the practical preparations, but to make time to be still and prepare our hearts. I think often those times of waiting and preparation can be when God does some of his deepest work.
You said it well: the waiting and preparation can be when God does His deepest work. I think that is why I like it so much.
Mary,
What a beautiful post to revisit!! We are ALL called to be like John the Baptist and herald the coming of the Lord. I think the enemy loves when we get all caught up in the busyness of the season and forget what Advent is truly about. Joining with you in pausing, resting, and dreaming. Let’s usher in a season of hope together.
Blessings sweet friend,
Bev xx
I love the call to “prepare the way of the Lord.” So easy yet it requires so much intentionality on our part. Advent is my favorite season. The chance to lean in close and slow down is my favorite gift.