One of the most cliche quotes we hear is, “home is where the heart is.” When we are preparing our hearts, we are often preparing our homes to welcome people into as well. When we welcome people into our heart and homes, we are called to be vulnerable with them. We are showing them everything; our bathrooms, our kitchens, bedrooms, living areas. But these places are more than just rooms. They are where you changed Sally’s diaper a million times. It’s where you found out that Johnny was going to Cal State University. Or in the kitchen where Joseph walked in with his girlfriend for the first time, who would soon be his wife. We, especially as women, have made our homes into a walking memory book. We log each moment away as it happens so that we won’t ever forget a single detail about it.
With the holiday season there comes a lot of pressure. Maybe not so much from a specific person or entity but combined pressure from everything surrounding us. Pressure to get all the cookies baked, pressure to get presents for person x, y and z, pressure to be the best gift giver, pressure to spend time with people, pressure to have the best party, and lastly the pressure to be vulnerable. That last one isn’t something we often see the Christmas season as being. But Christmas truly is about being vulnerable.
Those moments that we lock up; the ones where we take a mental snap shot of children ripping through gifts, Grandma talking with her grandchildren, or everyone taking a break from cooking to sit and sip coffee together: these moments are the very moments where we are being vulnerable with everyone around us. We have to open up our hearts and homes and let those that come to see us, see Christ in those moments.
When Mary got to the stable, she didn’t ask for more privacy or turn anyone away when they wanted to come and see Christ. She was vulnerable. She opened up the stable and allowed those to come and see the Savior. She didn’t say, “No.” She said please come into our home, please share in this moment with us. Let us be vulnerable as we welcome people into our homes, and let us welcome them into our hearts as well. Let us welcome them into our hearts and homes with vulnerability to show them Christ and share with them Christ. Let us be vulnerable to celebrate with them, Our Lord and Savior’s birth.
