Christmas is for Broken People.
Many of us have expectations of what Christmas should be like. A season of joy, peace, and hope, a time to spend with loved ones, of eating delicious food and receiving presents.
But to be honest, Christmas is not always merry. Holidays can be very painful when you are going through challenging seasons and trials. When another year has passed, and you are still chronically ill. When the suffering is lifelong and the pain ongoing with no end in sight.
Finding joy in the midst of these circumstances quite simply seems impossible. And as it is supposed to be a season of joy and cheer, we put on masks to hide how we feel and how broken we actually are.
However, we tend to forget that every year on Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the birth of a very special baby, in which we have the incarnation of God himself. This whole process is bigger than our minds could ever understand, but yes, when Jesus came to earth, He was fully divine and fully human. By becoming human, He was able to fulfill God's plan to reconcile us humans by dying for our sins.
Be it 2000 years ago or today, it remains a story full of hope and encouragement.
Take a look at Isaiah 9:6. 700 years before the coming of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied about the birth of the Messiah. It says: "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Do you realize how wonderful this is? Too often we forget the real meaning behind Christmas. The fact, that God loves us so much, that He sent His only Son to save us, so we can be reunited with Him. And surely enough, Jesus knows suffering. The reason He came to earth, was to suffer on the Cross and die so that we could be reconciled to His Father through His painful death on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead.
I encourage us to look past our expectations of what Christmas should be.
Instead of feeling unsuited to celebrate Christmas because of grief, physical pain and exhaustion, mental struggles, and everything that comes with chronic illness, let's remember this Christmas season that He is Emmanuel. He is God with us, and we can find our hope and strength in Him!!
Jesus knows what it is like to suffer, how it feels to be abandoned and to feel like nobody really understands what you are going through. We should realize that Christmas IS for broken people. Jesus came for the sick, the hurting, the lost. We know He is close to the brokenhearted. To those with shattered hearts and lives. To those who were left. To us.
But through Jesus we have hope. Hope in who God is and what He can do. Through Him we are saved by grace. And this grace can give us the strength to endure suffering. By no means am I saying that it is going to be easy, or that if you just believe more, you will be healed. No, not at all. What I am saying, is that God meets us in our suffering. He meets us right there in our darkest moments because He cares for us. And while we will probably never know why we have to face this ongoing battle, why we get sicker instead of better and why God does not simply heal us right away, one thing we know for sure is that God's infinite love for each of us is indestructible.
No pain and sorrow can change this because we know that even in our darkest nights, God is with us.
This Christmas, despite all the pain and suffering that continues, be assured sweet friend that even when you are in the midst of suffering, it is still possible to find peace and joy in Jesus.
Merry Christmas!
By Christelle Timis.