“Here, let me pour you a cup of hot tea. No, no trouble. But you seem a little blah. Tired, maybe? Something’s bothering you - I can tell. Let’s just sit here, be together, and sip on this apple-cinnamon tea. I’m really glad you dropped by. Hey, don’t go acting all cheery for my sake. We’re friends - remember? Tell me, what’s on your mind?”

And so it goes. Christmas: “Tis the season to be jolly!” We try, but circumstances beg to differ. Gumdrops and mistletoe clash with disappointment, pain. I’m thinking today of those whose holiday has been broadsided with unexpected grief. These things don’t take a holiday, do they? So many close to me are dealing with relational problems, job loss, cancer treatments, and stunned disbelief over changes out of their control. I don’t blame them for not feeling the fa-la-la.

By a certain age we realize that life’s not a sleigh ride. Life here is tough. But earth is not our home; we’re pilgrims Homeward bound. Even when it feels like a jerky roller-coaster ride with loud clanging bells trailing behind us, as believers, Christ Jesus is with us. My heart’s easily taken with temporal concerns, even in trying to comfort others. In a holiday rush, I catch myself missing the Hand that reaches for me, all the while needing His restorative touch. Slow down, I tell myself. We desperately need Him, don’t we?

You are not alone. Neither am I.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 37: 14

What’s crowding your heart right now? Shopping? Parties? Gift-wrapping? Maybe something is crushing your heart. Loneliness. Health. Finances. A broken relationship. I hear you. More importantly, the Lord hears you. And He is Immanuel, “God with us”… so very close to us.

Pull away from the noise; sense His nearness. Know that only He can heal what hurts, so let Him. Let Him in, surrender the tough, turn to His beating heart. We do that every time we confess our need, open His Word, and wait for inward strengthening through the power of His Holy Spirit.

This is why Jesus came - to impart His Life in the midst of our difficulty.

I’m praying for you. Can I pour you another cup?