“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.” Revelation 3:20
One of the things I always tried to keep in the forefront of my mind when I was performing onstage was to invite the audience in…to make sure I was making them feel like they were right there in the story of the ballet. To invite the audience in is simply to intrigue them, to welcome them…to dance for them, with them…to invite the audience in is to engage with them.
To make the audience feel welcome and a part of the performance makes the audience feel like they have a special connection to you. That’s when the audience is moved…when they are so engaged and drawn in…that their hearts feel a part of the beauty going on on stage.
In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, may we be fully engaged…may we first of all, invite our audience of One in…Christ. May we fully open our hearts and our lives to His love and presence. May we fully believe that the more we invite Him in…the more changed we will be…the more transformed we will be into His likeness. Just like we transform our homes into Christmas homes…adding decorations and lights to bring in the reason for the season…may we let Christ come into our hearts and transform them with His love and light.
May we also invite others into the heart of Christmas this season. Who in your life can you love well this season? Who can you invite in…who can you take time to listen to, take time to call, take time to give a special gift, take time to encourage, take time to help…who can you invite in this season in order to invite them to know the One we are celebrating?
Dancing without inviting the audience in is dancing with something missing. Something doesn’t feel right when we forget the audience. They are just as important as the scenery, the lights, the stage makeup, the music, all the behind the scenes crew, and the dancers. Without the audience, there is no performing.
Living without inviting Christ in and others in is living with something missing. Something doesn’t feel right when we forget our audience of One and the ones we love. He and our loved ones and neighbors are what it is all about.
Will you invite Christ all the way in to your heart, your life, and the details of your day this season? What if you really opened your heart to Him? What might He do in your life? How might He change you? How might He comfort you? And what if you allow your heart to soften this Christmas…and let your heart invite others in…so that they can experience the beautiful gift of the Savior with you this Christmas?
Inviting Him in…our audience of One…is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others this Christmas.
Prayer: “Savior, I want to be transformed by You. I want to invite You all the way into my heart. I want to love others well. Will You come all the way into my heart this Christmas so that I may know the beauty and the gift of knowing You intimately?”
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