I dont know how my brother and sister in law do it.
Thirteen people camped out in their house over Christmas.
It was a chaos! A kind of nice chaos, but nevertheless chaos!
My little two year old granddaughter Kaidance slept on the floor next to Dawn and I, and she kept rolling under our bed, in fact crying out loud at various times in the night because she had bumped her head.
Meal times were everyman for himself events, drinks were spilt, a few ornaments were broken, a typical slice of family Christmas.
It was so nice though.
There was hardly any room to move .
Now back at home in a much quieter environment, I sat down with a coffee and did a spot of reflection. When I say reflection, I love to just let my mind wander in the silence and take me to wherever.
That could be me about to take a penalty at Anfield in front of the Kop, or a recap of whatever has gone in my life that particular week, or whatever really.
I just go where I go with my thinking.
Its the best type of quiet time for me!
Often sone of my best sermons have come from these times.
And today?
My mind centred on the overcrowded Christmas I had just had.
Just before Christmas I read from a high pulpit in the ancient wonder that is Durham Cathedral, in front of a couple of thousand people. As I stepped down from the pulpit, the carol, O little town of Bethlehem began.
As I got back to my seat my mind was in overdrive. Did I speak clearly enough? Did I pronounce the words right? I wasn't really concentrating on the carol, but suddenly the words "be born in us today" seemed to land in my brain with shuddering force.
And this Christmas suddenly came alive for me.Reflecting on this in relation to my mad Christmas at my brother in laws, I thought to myself, If Jesus had actually called round in person that night, there would have definitely been no room for him.
Of course in the Christmas story, just before he entered this life as a human being, his parents were turned away from a couple of hotels. I guess if those inn keepers had really known who the unborn baby was in mary's womb, they would have made room.
My mind then recalled a time many years ago when I was on holiday at a theme park in the USA with my family. We were looking forward to a day in a particular area of the theme park. When we arrived we found it had been closed for the morning because a famous premiership footballer wanted to rent it for the morning for his family. It felt a bit like a no room at the inn experience
As I continued to mind-wander in the silence of my office at home, I had to ask the question of my self, have you made room for Jesus over Christmas?
Be born in us today? That is the searing hope of Christmas in that big request. But we have to make room for that to happen.That American theme park was probably so concentrated on celebrity, on kudos, on one upmanship, that it shut out the rest of us whatever the consequences.
Do I do that with Jesus?
Do we do that?
Do we fill our lives with so much other stuff that there is no room for Jesus?
Is there overcrowding in our deepest being?
Way to much clutter?
For him to be born in us?
To change our hearts and our lives forever?
It's worth reflecting on as we come into a new year.
2012.
A new year, a new dawning, a new era for everyone of us.
How do we make room?
I guess we need to switch our attention on to him, recognise he is the Lord of everything. Talk to him, listen to him, love him, read about him, share him, soak ourselves in him, forgive others, let bygones be bygones, realign our spiritual lives, agree to make new starts, come out of our messes fighting!
Lay down your clutter.
Go on, you've been carrying it way too long.
And if you are struggling for a prayer right now.
Here is one.
An amazing request.
Be born in me today?
Happy new year, with oodles of God's favour on your life.
