When Christmas Feels Broken

“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.”

~Psalm 16:8~

Have you ever been in a room full of people you love and yet feel so alone? I have. Although the invitations are so great, it is sometimes easier to be home alone than to go and try to be okay when you are not.

Maybe it is your first Christmas following a divorce and your family is divided or you have experienced the loss a loved one and things just don’t feel the same. Your life feels broken. Your heart is aching and you feel the weight of fear, loneliness and the unknown.

In Psalm 16 we read about a time when David, too, felt left behind, forgotten and afraid. When he wrote this passage he was likely hiding in the woods, alone, knowing his enemy, Saul, and his army were in hot pursuit to find him and kill him. Yet he did not let his emotions shake him! He chose to focus on God’s presence instead.

“I know the lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.”

We can make the same choice when we are enduring hard times. When our marriage is broken, a boss says we are no longer needed, or a loved one leaves this world too soon. As we try to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts, we are left wondering if we will ever feel okay again.

I remember laying in my bed one day wondering this very thing. I cried out to God, “Will I ever feel okay again?” I had just gone through a divorce after 5 years of betrayal. Shortly after the divorce, my Dad, who I loved so much, passed away. I had never felt so broken and alone.

Christmas should be a time of joy and celebration and faith-shaking circumstances can shake us up much like David. But even if this season doesn’t feel quite the same, we can remind ourselves that God is always with us. He is always at work in our lives, on our behalf, even when we can’t see what He is doing.

Focus on His presence and promises. This will help us feel less shattered and alone and will equip us to handle the emotions of the holidays and prepare us spiritually to be ready for anything the future holds.

Lord, this season is hard for so many. We long to feel your presence. Help us to remember that you are always right beside us and infuse us with hope and peace that we cannot find on our own. Give us joy in this season of celebrating Your birth no matter what our circumstances are and help us to see and love on others who may be feeling alone.

Amen!

Merry Christmas!