How was your Christmas? Did you get everything you wanted? Were you with the ones you love the most? Did your meal turn out perfectly? If we answer “yes” to all of these questions we may not be truly honest. For sure if we believe the Hallmark movies, watch commercials where the husband surprises his wife with a new (and very expensive) car, or  families are united together joyously. Are they real? I scroll through my Facebook and Instagram feed and see displays of photos of perfect families: children dressed to the nines and not getting rumpled or dirty, happy, happy faces……If we are honest, we know nothing is as perfect as the pictures display. Someone needs a nap. Someone doesn’t feel well. Someone is sad. There are dirty dishes in the sink. Someone is missing in the photo.

May I be very honest with you? I woke up a little depressed on Christmas morning. I couldn’t understand why. I had a loving husband by my side. There were good things to anticipate in the day. But I was down and I couldn’t figure out why I was down. Then I realized what was wrong. Things are changing–and I can’t do a thing about those changes!

My family unit has undergone massive changes in the past nearly fourteen years. When my first husband, the father of my children, passed away, things changed. There was no one at the head of the table. Family traditions changed. I married and it was different. I was happy again, but it was still different. And then, I was alone again. Four years later, I met and married Jim. That faithful, loving husband who is by my side and was puzzled this past Christmas morning when I was sad. We talked it over–for he wasn’t threatened by my sadness–and I realized what it was. It was different. It wasn’t bad, just different. My whole family wasn’t coming to our house. We were going to some of theirs. It was fine, but not the same. Different.

Do you ever get sad for reasons you can’t immediately put your finger on? I’m so glad I have someone who understands me and my sometimes-sadness. Jesus. He’s the reason we celebrate this Christmas season. The God who spoke the universe into being also became a human being. What a miracle! What love! I hadn’t thought of it much until this Christmas season. I took the story of God Incarnate for granted. Have you thought about it? Really thought about it? God–Jesus–became human. He understands us when we feel angry, sad, happy, because he was human too! And God.

I got past my sadness later on December 25. It turned out to be  a really good day.

Some of you perhaps didn’t get past the sadness on Christmas day–or today, two days after Christmas. You are alone. Perhaps you are estranged from the ones you love. You are with someone and you are angry, don’t love them, or you’d like to be elsewhere. You are sick–physically or you are depressed. I urge you to seek the source of strength I depend on through the changes in my life. I like a verse in the Old Testament that is comforting and helpful to me. I hope for you, too.

Be strong and of good courage;

be not frightened, neither be dismayed:

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

It is my prayer you can grab onto the fact that our God is with you. The babe in the manager we sing about is God. He is there.

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