Christmas and Loneliness

TRANSCRIPT OF EPISODE 2 His Calm in My Storm When my kids were small I would pray aloud with them at bedtime, and I always seemed to include in our prayers all the people who were lonely. I wanted God’s touch to reach all those people who were hurting. Christmas can be a lonely time. It’s a time when everyone is rushing from place to place, trying to get everything done in time. People can get over-tired and tempers flare, road rage increases, and many are actually happy when the festive season is over. My memories of Christmas as a young child were all about Santa Clause. I put him on a pedestal and loved to give him a hug at the parties we both were at, or sit close by and observe his kindly interactions with all the kids. One of my love languages is gifts, so I admit I may have liked to receive the toys and games from him as well! I loved getting excited with my kids when they were at the ‘believing age’ and I did my best to keep that going for as many Christmases as possible. Now, they are grown, and yet I still have a soft spot for Santa Clause. I was travelling recently and one of the malls had magnificent displays in strategic places. I stopped to admire lights and a massive teddy bear resting on an array of massive old fashioned tree decorations, huge toy soldiers, candy canes, and some of the round kind in the brightest colours with a scoop out of the middle. or fully round and breakable (or at least they looked shiny and breakable). Then I caught a glimpse of something - Inside one of the tree decorations, on soft plush green cushions, sat Santa Clause! Decked out in his golden waistcoat, red velvet pants and that white and red hat. White bearded and moustached, of course, small round glasses, and he was waving at me! Me! I’m not a kid, but I found myself waving back and smiling from ear to ear. It made my day, especially as I had been struggling to find what I needed at the mall, and my back and legs were hurting from a ‘shop till you drop’ session the day before. Smiles and kind gestures go a long way at this time of year especially. It’s a time of gift-giving, remembering those who have done so much for us. People who have a tendency towards depression dread the looming of Christmas. I’ve been there. The feeling that I will not manage the demands of the jolly season as well as complete normal schedules and deadlines that tend to increase with each passing day. And yet, everything does get done in time, or it is prioritised in the best way possible.  We often attend the Christmas Eve children’s service at the local Parrish church where the birth of Jesus is enacted, and if I am not in the Christmas spirit by then, singing carols does the trick. I love the Christmas story - the lead up to the birth of Jesus. The light of the world, the king of kings actually coming to live among us, to show us how to live in dependence with the Father, The ultimate sacrifice of love. At times the story seems blurry and our prayers seem pointless, And yet He is always there, to welcome and love us. So let’s pray: Prayer Dear heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of Jesus, for lighting up our paths, for making things new. This year has been tough, and we have felt at times that it is just too difficult, Yet, You show us the way, helping us to keep going, You shine in the darkness! As Psalm 23 says, With you, we have more than enough, offering us a resting place in your luxurious Love. Your tracks take us to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. The comfort of your love takes away our fear and we will never be lonely, for you are near. In Jesus name Amen!