Make Room for Him

by Shirley E. Gould

Christmas is upon us! It happens every year…the food, the search for gifts, company parties, Christmas programs and family gatherings crowd our schedules, devour our finances and sap our strength. We can get overwhelmed in the twinkle lights and tinsel. The lines get blurred.

Today, the grinch teams up with Scrooge to divert us from the holy meaning that deserves celebrating. So many want to think of Christ as being Away in a Manger…keeping Jesus at a distance instead of up close and personal. By doing this we’re saying there’s no room for Him…no room in the Inn.

Hearing the miraculous story of His virgin birth reminds us He’s the reason for the season. We, as Christians focus on the true meaning behind the hub-bub—but are we doing enough? In the Christmas carol ‘Joy to the World’ there is a phrase that says…let every heart prepare Him room…

John 3:16 says…For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God gave us the very best He had. Then He added the promise of eternal life if we believe in Him. In this season of gift giving…what gift do you have for Jesus?

In 1993, an eight-year-old boy listened intently to every word of J.R.’s (my husband’s) mission message. At the end of the service the boy checked every pocket—but he had no money to give in the mission’s offering. J.R. watched him as the offering plate drew near. When he held it in his hands, he slipped off the wooden pew and stepped into the center aisle of the sanctuary. He put the round wooden offering plate on the floor and stepped into it—giving himself to the Lord.

We should follow his example by making a renewed commitment to Jesus this Christmas. As writers of Christian fiction, we must weave this Christmas message into our prose in an effort to make a difference with our words. Christmas novellas are a perfect venue for such an effort.

At a time when hearts are open—when people are lonely—struggling to make ends meet—to make everyone happy—we can point them to the Savior, the healer, the provider. Like a student raising his hand to answer a question in a classroom—we need to be writing this truth for the world to read…that they might find their answers in our stories.

When our characters make room for Christ in their lives it instills a vibrant example for our readers to do the same. We have readers who need this message. So, as writers, make that renewed commitment this Christmas season then write on my friends—sharing its importance with the masses.

Shirley E. Gould is an inspirational speaker, an African missionary and a freelance journalist. She’s founder of Kenya’s Kids Home for Street Children in Kenya, East Africa. Shirley has written articles and newsletters for twenty years and is presently writing Christian Fiction novels. She lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area.