Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.—Luke 2:11

While many are at home cerebrating this Christmas holiday, I know there are also many who are home alone broken and hurting. Wherever you are this Christmas Day, know that you have a Savior who loves you more than you can imagine. Christmas is a reminder that God is with us and we are equipped with His love to share with others not just during this season but all year long.

In 1995, my Christmas Day should have been one to embrace and remember. I was fortunate to be able to live at home with my parents and have not just their emotional support but  also two extra people to help me with my children. My son was two-and-a-half and my daughter two months old. Rather than enjoy the enthusiasm of my toddler son opening gifts, all I could focus on was that John (my late husband), wasn’t there to enjoy it with me. How sad, that I couldn’t appreciate the full life around me on that day. 

This year, I have had some ups and downs, but I am going to try and focus on all of my blessings. I am so blessed to have family to celebrate the holidays. I know that is not the case for many. We have a family friend who was a childhood friend of my dad’s. He moved to Texas when he retired to be closer to our family. Even though my dad has been gone for over 11 years, we still include him in all of our family events because we know that while, we aren’t his family by blood, he is like an uncle to all of us. Do you know anyone that doesn't have family that you can include today?

Besides being together with my family, the gift I cherish the most on this Christmas day is the grace and mercy I received when I accepted Jesus into my heart at the age of twenty-eight. Not only did I receive His grace and mercy on that day, but I receive his grace and mercy every day. I can never live the perfect life as Jesus did, but I can try. I will fail, but praise God, we serve a God of such grace and mercy who doesn’t keep a score card. Every day, I start with a clean slate.

I don’t know if you are hanging on to past sins or bad habits that you just can’t break, but tomorrow is a new day. Let them go at the foot of the cross. Ask Jesus to infiltrate your heart. Rather than have a New Years Resolution, pray the Lord to give you a word for change for 2018.

So this Christmas Day, if you are struggling, try making a list of all of your blessings. Rather than focus on what is missing, look at all that you still have. Every time you start to feel discouraged, read that list as a reminder. If you weren't able to make a Christmas Eve service, the pastor at my church had an amazing message that you can watch online.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for being a loving Father of such grace and mercy. Help me to remember that while Christmas Day may be a day filled with joy and laughter for many, it is also a day filled with tears and sorrow for others. I lift those up to You that are carrying the burden of sorrow today. I pray that they feel that Jesus is the reason for the season all year long. The gift of Jesus is available to us every day, not just on December 25th. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen!

How are you doing memorizing this month’s scripture, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”John 3:16