As I was joining the pieces of the Christmas tree together, the skin on my littlest finger got squeezed between the two metal pieces. In an instant both blood and tears were falling.
A tissue took care of the blood, but the tears … they kept falling.
After a bit of time and ample tears I found myself thinking, why am I crying? It was as though that momentary, physical pain provided excuse to let the inner aches out … all at once.
Then I remembered leading devotions last week, as school. When I asked if there were any prayer requests, a student had said “can we pray for those who struggle at Christmas time?”
Like the physical pain that opened the dams to my tears, the approaching of the joy-filled season of Christmas can expose the injuries and heartaches causing a gushing of sorrow and tears to unexpectedly pour out to the surface.
Christmas can be painful, pain-filled and lonely for some.
The reasons may differ from one person to the next. They may include missing loved ones or relationship struggles, hopelessness or defeat, past pain or poverty, or any number of personal reasons why the festive season is not so festive.
Those, who hurt, are not alone,
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18
The Matthew Henry Commentary says, of this verse:
” It is the constant practice of real believers, when in distress, to cry unto God, and it is their constant comfort that he hears them. “
God hears.
God sees.
God knows.
In this season of celebration of the birth of the Saviour, He is still saving, still comforting, still wiping the tears of those who cry.
He is near to the brokenhearted.
As his hands and feet, we can also lift those who may be hurting this Christmas, to the one who will stay close to them.
itsawonderfilledlife 