“…and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us.” Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

You’re not smiling this Christmas.

It’s not that you hate the season. It’s just that everywhere you look, you see the face of the one you loved and lost. Some twinkling lights and a few shiny gifts under the tree don’t cover up the pain you feel inside.

You’re pretty good at that, though. Covering up. It’s the only way you can go on — by breathing in, breathing out — putting one foot in front of the other. 

The only thing I have to offer you is two eyes and a heart that will cry with you.

The only thing I have to offer you is two arms that will hold you while you cry.

The only thing I have to offer you is two ears that will listen as you share about the person you love.

And while it may seem strange to ask a devotional-writer for a listening ear — it’s not strange to ask the people around you to care.

Yes, folks may seem caught up in the season — the twinkling lights, the shiny gifts. But beneath the surface, they are wishing they could do something significant this holiday season.

The holidays are actually the “holy days”. God Emmanuel is God With Us. And what is more holy than one human being there — eyes, ears, arms, and hearts — for another human being.

Lord, I need to feel You with me today. I need You to send people to be with me when I feel sad and alone. Thank you for always being close to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

GO DEEPER:

Ponder: “And He said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” Exodus 33: 14 (NKJV)

Apply: Seek someone out who can care about what you are going through.

Share: How can you care for someone who’s going through a hard time this Christmas?

Bekah Hamrick Martin is the author-in-progress of The Bare Naked Truth About Waiting — the book that takes a satirical stab at the lies teen girls believe about relationships. You can read her every-day take on life and the Bare Naked Truth at www.bekahhamrickmartin.com.

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