When my wife and I expect company at home, we do our best to clean each room from top to bottom. When we had our dear friends over, we even placed things to cover up the less attractive areas. The illusion must portray a very tidy and well-kept home for our guests. Failure to tend to the upkeep of our house suggests that our guests are not important enough to offer our best.

     Before our guests arrive, there is palpable excitement in the air. We eagerly run through each room, checking our work with a sense of joy. Did we clean hard enough? Is our work recognized favorably? Did we do enough to honor our friends? These questions fill us with anticipation and eagerness to welcome our guests.

     During the season of Advent, we turn our gaze inward and ask, “Did we do enough to honor our guest? Will He feel welcomed in our home?” Our souls take on the crucial work needed to make our sacrifice acceptable to our Savior. In other words, we must ask ourselves, “Is my work good enough for Jesus?” This introspective journey is a crucial part of our spiritual preparation.

     God reminded Job at the end of his story, so God reminds us now: Do the work, but surrender your hearts to the Lord. The first thing we must do without fail is to acknowledge the gift of grace offered to us freely. The gift we receive is from God and God alone. No one has the power or the authority to provide what God does. This acknowledgment fills us with a sense of profound gratitude and humility. The question is, “What will we do with it?”

     Today, let us give thanks for the journey. Let the healing powers of light overwhelm any darkness in our spiritual house. Please focus on the One who delivers us. We will join the race because we know God will not leave or forsake us. Our comforter sustains, guides, and leads us beside still waters of renewal. For unwavering love, we say, “Amen.”