November is knocking and Thanksgiving peeks over the horizon. Like a small child who can't see the entire feast spread on the table, we may greet the holiday season with trepidation. Many experts caution against large gatherings as a sense of disappointment permeates the air. I think of this month as a time of prescribed shedding and rebalancing. As the trees surrender their leaves and citizens vote new politicians into various positions this month, four words thunder into the uncertainty. MAKE ROOM FOR MORE! God calls us to hunger after Him and we are cautioned against being satiated with the status quo.
More. On the surface, the desire for more may seem ungrateful or extravagant. Our basic needs are met and we have survived in the midst of a raging pandemic. Yet consider this. Thanksgiving is a feast for the senses like no other. We sit at the table with friends and family for hours as the dishes rotate, never tiring of the variety or overabundance of food. Are we full? Absolutely. When expectation is high, there is always room for more. In fact, the host might be insulted if you showed up without a healthy appetite. Most of us factor in time for digestion, yet stay within striking distance of the table, to make room for more.
When I declutter (and it isn't often) I don't always do it for noble reasons. I might be thinking of a future purchase that I can't quite justify. More. Making space for more is a defiant act of hope in the face of circumstances that speak limitation. Autumn leaves put on a spectacular display of color before drifting from the tree, in a bittersweet exchange for new life. As a nation, we have been asked to make some soul-crushing sacrifices that cause us to question the reason for it all. Yet times of realignment are purposeful and necessary. Chasms inspire the most beautiful bridges and Doubting Thomas was no less worthy a disciple for his probing nature. The void always provides a canvas for the miraculous.
This year has been a training ground for champions. But most of us are barely able to catch our breath between the harrowing drills of 2020. No matter what lies ahead, we must believe that the coach understands our humanity. Nothing catches Him by surprise. When we empty ourselves of the toxic emotions, we make space for peace and blessing. By making room for more of God's presence in our lives, we reject the non-essential and accept the indispensable. Less sickness. More healing. Less brokenness. More wholeness. Less strife. More peace. Less of me. More of Him. It's November, folks! Stay hungry.
You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
Psalms 65:11 NLT
So true! November is a month of reflection and thanks. This reminder to make more room for our Creator and let Him fill us with love and mercy is what we certainly need. I will definitely make more room for God in my life as I hunger for His guidance and abundance.