It’s the most wonderful time of the year—or so we’re told... For some, the holidays bring not joy but despair, loneliness, and depression. If you’ve ever felt a pang of sadness during the holidays, you’re not alone. For many, this season magnifies feelings of loss, isolation, or unmet expectations. I’m often asked: How can I walk alongside someone who is depressed—especially during the holidays?
Receipts. Good for noting what we’ve received. Plus maybe a 35-cent coupon. In the physical. But on the spiritual side—the eternal—there’s no way to fully note all we’ve received in Christ.
Q: How can you endure Christmas if you have just lost a loved one? So many of us understand the ache of loosing a loved one, especially during the holidays. My father died the Sunday before Thanksgiving, which plunged me into grief. That December, I had gum surgery and then succumbed to the flu. I battled depression throughout that holiday. The joy around me accentuated my sorrow and the empty place in my heart.
That weekend, we discovered a truth more beautiful than any home tour. Yet God restored that joy too— A simple wooden rocking horse became a symbol of the quiet miraculous ways God brings lost things home...
Here’s what I’ve been thinking about—there is a present of discovery as we sink into God’s presence every day. You hear that? Present. Presence. We get to unwrap His presents—these gifts He’s giving us—in His presence. Every single day. But do we? Do we wait for them? Do we see them? Do we have that anticipation, that excitement we had as kids circling things in the Sears catalog? Or have we just ... lost the wonder?
A handful of songs on my stand-up bass for the Christmas Eve service. And our family of twenty for a week of food and fun. But as the calendar turned, my stress levels escalated as I tried to make each event perfect and memorable. In the years since then I have found that the greatest gift I can give others— prayer—is also one that keeps on giving . . . not only to them but also to me. As we surround the days ahead in prayer, we will find this spiritual gift has a lasting impact.
We often miss the miracles God puts on our path. We don’t prepare our hearts to enjoy them. Perhaps we don’t believe we’ll see them. Mostly though, we don’t notice them; or if we do, we don’t take time to fully experience and enjoy them. In some cases, worldly woes weaken and distract us so we become oblivious to the gifts God distributes throughout our days. Yet, miracles happen all around us...
Here’s the thing about those Pinterest quotes, those “Choose Joy This Christmas” signs—when you’re at your lowest, they just bounce off you. They’re flat. One-dimensional words that don’t mean anything when you’re suffocating inside your own head while everyone else is singing carols.
By Linda Evans Shepherd Linda Evans Shepherd As I write to you, my Christmas tree is glowing softly in the corner— each light a tiny reminder of the miracle we…
Are you soul tired? True rest is God-generated. Only, guess what. That’s where joy sparks too. It doesn’t even matter if my body is tired. As long as my soul is God-seeking and Jesus-focused, there is a wonderful, steadfast joy energy that compares to nothing else.