By Melody Vanosdol
Who doesn’t love Christmastime? Baby Jesus, tinsel, jingle bells, baking cookies, making candy, giving presents, Christmas caroling, special Christmas services at church.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be much mistle toeing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It’s the most wonderful time
Yes the most wonderful time
Oh the most wonderful time
Of the year! (lyrics written by Andy Williams)
The sad truth is, there are a lot of people for whom Christmastime is anything but wonderful.
I know a newly divorced woman who just missed Thanksgiving with her children because it was his turn to have them for that holiday. On Christmas, she’ll pack them up in the middle of the day to ship them off to his house because that’s how the decree was written up. It’s tearing her heart out.
I know several widows and widowers. The closest to my heart is my own mother. As soon as Halloween is over, she can’t wait for January. She is the last of her generation. All of the memories hurt.
Now that I’ve done a whiz bang job of being a bah humbug, there is good news. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are the body of Christ! That is great news! We get to be a blessing. And you can’t be a blessing without receiving a blessing!
We truly have the opportunity to be like Jesus. He celebrated with his friends in Cana. We can celebrate too. But he also looked for those who were hurting and forgotten. We should also look for those who are hurting and lonely. You probably already know them. But the busyness makes us forgetful.
Invite the widow or widower to come over and help you make or decorate cookies. Make sure that the single mom isn’t sitting at home alone because no one invited her out. These people are already in your family, your church family, maybe your daughter’s best friend’s mom.
Find the lonely and hurting. Let them know they’re loved, remembered, and thought of. Few things feel worse than feeling forgotten. We’ve all been there. We have the power to vanquish that awful feeling.
May God bless you with the merriest and most blessed Christmas since our Savior came down to us in the humblest way imaginable.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:34-40).
Looking for a way to connect with God daily? Check out our daily devotional books: Living in Truth Day by Day *** Living in Truth Mind, Body, Spirit *** Living in Truth: A Christmas Devotional