Feeling Alone at Christmas?

Do you feel alone?  This rugged individualism isn't as romantic as it's cracked up to be.  At this time of year feelings of aloneness can become overwhelming.  We do well in those moments to cling to what we know to be true and not be carried away by our emotions.  And this is truth:  Into this dark world more than two-thousand years ago was born a vulnerable baby, completely dependent on His young, inexperienced, financially poor parents.  The world and culture into which He was born was a scary and violent one.  This little family was, in a sense, 'homeless' at His birth, having to use an animal stable for a birth room.  Talk about feeling alone.  Yet, the HOPE of the world was born on that dark night! 

This child grew into the someone who would divide history - B.C. and A.D.  The world's whole concept of mercy and compassion would come about through this One born on the day we celebrate 'Christmas.'  This One would so radically change millions of lives that there would be multitudes of works of kindness done in His name.  Hospitals would be built, the dying would die in the arms of tenderhearted strangers, educational institutions would be founded, the undeserving forgiven, words about Him would give hope to those in despair and His light within the life of millions would change the world for the better.

Sadly, there would also be those who oppose Him and the forces of evil would bring devastation to many.  Some would even do inconceivable wrong in His name.  Christmas accelerated an all out war between good and evil, and evil often has great power.  But God's power is greater and stronger and  broke through our darkness and helplessness on that first Christmas night.  In times of feeling alone or if we are experiencing a time of depression we need to remember that.  God is stronger than whatever we are going through!

God in the flesh, God with us, Emmanuel.  No longer would God seem distant but closer than one's own breath, and as hard as it is to imagine, He wants to be an intimate friend to each of us.  He never wants us to be alone of feel alone, again.

Having a rough day or a difficult season?  Christ knows what it feels like.  He's been there before us and if we invite Him into our lives He promises to be with us, always.  We never have to be alone again. 

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you.  Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."  Isaiah 41:10 

As we see the Christmas lights peering through the darkness let it be a reminder to us, hope broke into our world on Christmas night.  The light of the world has come!        

Go Home and Tell Everybody

He was the picture of torment.  "Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones."  From a slice of history, this man is not unlike some anguished people today.  It may be mental illness, it may be something amiss in the spiritual nature, or perhaps it is the effects of years of drug or alcohol abuse and the tragic choices that tend to accompany the lifestyle.  Insomnia was his constant companion.  He was indeed miserable and without a sense of hope, and people were afraid of him.  Even those with a touch of compassion didn't know how to deal with him, so alone he stayed.  Cut off from the warmth of social contact, finding strange familiarity among the tombs, and injuring himself.  Some say cutting eases the pain.  But more pain comes as a result.  In every conceivable sense, he was a mess.


And then it happened.  Jesus found him and dealt with his issues.  Jesus was not afraid of his condition or appalled at his choices.  Jesus showed tremendous compassion, dealt with the man's heart and healed that which was terrible injured, physically, mentally and spiritually.  And that's how Jesus works.  By the time the bystanders encountered the man they found him described as "fully clothed and perfectly sane."  In fact the change was so dramatic that the bystanders became afraid, because they knew this was beyond human.  It was miraculous.   


Jesus then had to leave, for He had much to accomplish.  The man who had just been through a remarkable transformation begged to go along with Jesus, but Jesus gave the man something of his own to accomplish.  "Go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful He has been (from Mark 5, NLT)."  


Even when we make bad choices...God is the compassionate Heavenly Father ever searching for His wayward children.  Be saved, be healed, be transformed.  Go home and tell everybody.