By Kelly Wahlquist

“It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.” ~ Mary O’Connor

‘Tis the season of hustle and bustle. There are presents to buy, soirees to plan, parties to attend, trees and homes to decorate, cookies to bake, and Christmas cards to mail.

This is a busy time of year! Ironically, it is a time where we spend so much time preparing that we can lose sight of what it is we are truly preparing—our hearts to be a dwelling place for the Living God. Knowing that and knowing that my heart is a beautifully feminine heart, this Advent, I am going to busy myself to receive Jesus like never before. I am going to enter into my relationship with him in the way in which I was created to relate to him—with my feminine soul.

So, I’m not going to wait until Christmas to open my gifts! Each day of Advent, I’m going to unwrap the gifts of the Feminine Genius that God has given me to help me prepare myself to receive Jesus anew. I’m going to unwrap the gifts of receptivity, generosity, and sensitivity and I’m going to keep it simple.

 

  • Receptivity: I am going to begin each day this Advent with a simple prayer. “Lord, help me receive you into my heart like never before.”

 

  • Generosity: I am going to spend an hour in Adoration each week, embracing his love so I can love like him.

 

  • Sensitivity: I am going to fix my Gaze Upon Jesus by reading the book and participating in a book club, so I can see and respond to his presence with my heart.

In the hustle and bustle of the weeks ahead, I invite you to join me in making a special effort to tap into the gifts God has given us. May we all “bee” busy this Advent preparing a dwelling place for Jesus so that on Christmas we receive the Christ child in our maternal hearts like never before.

 

About the author:

Kelly Wahlquist is a wife, mother of three, inspiring Catholic author and speaker residing in Minnesota. She is the founder of WINE: Women In the New Evangelization and the Director for the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute. Her book Created to Relate: God’s Design for Peace & Joy encourages and inspires women to live fully their beautiful God-given gifts for building relationships.

She is the editor of Walk in Her Sandals: Experiencing the Passion of Christ through the Eyes of Women and Gaze Upon Jesus: Experiencing Christ’s Childhood through the Eyes of Women, which are innovative collaborative works that allow women to enter into their relationship with Jesus in the way in which they were created to—as women. Kelly travels the country speaking on the New Evangelization in an effort to encourage all to spread the message of Jesus by living the joy of the Gospel, and leads women’s pilgrimages (WINE & Shrine) through Italy. She enjoys speaking to all groups but has a special affinity towards speaking at Catholic women’s conferences and retreats.  (KellyWahlquist.com) (CatholicVineyard.com)