“It doesn’t feel like Christmas, Mom,” my thirteen-year-old said recently. I suggested it might be because she’s getting older. When we’re children, there’s a magical quality to Christmastime. Excitement fills the air as we imagine twinkling lights, warm sugar cookies, and shiny gifts beneath the tree. But as we grow up, life becomes more complicated—sometimes in wonderful ways, and sometimes not.
For those blessed with children of their own, the “magic” of Christmas can reappear as we experience it through their eyes. But children grow up too, and eventually, we may find ourselves back in a place where Christmas doesn’t feel quite as joyful or “Christmassy” (if that’s even a word) as it once did.
We all navigate different seasons of life. Perhaps you’re a young adult overwhelmed with little ones and haven’t had the time or energy to put up the tree. Maybe you’re in midlife, watching your children leave the nest, too busy, or uninterested in helping with the decorations. Or perhaps you’ve reached a point where climbing the stairs to get the tree feels impossible, and you’ve decided not to bother at all.
But no matter what season of life you’re in, there’s one constant truth we can cling to: Jesus is the reason for the season. Matching pajamas, nostalgic movies, and handmade ornaments may bring smiles, but they are not the heart of Christmas. Jesus Christ came to this earth for you and me, offering the greatest gift—Himself. In addition to giving us the gift of salvation, He blesses us with the Gift of Compassion this Christmas.
Isaiah 53:3 describes Him as a man of sorrows, familiar with grief. The New Testament reveals how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy. In John 1:11, we see how He was rejected: “He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” Luke 22:44 describes the agony He endured in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” On the cross, His grief is laid bare in Matthew 27:46, as He cries out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
Jesus is no stranger to sorrow or suffering. He knows what it means to feel pain, rejection, and loneliness. Wherever you find yourself this Christmas—whether joyful or grieving, surrounded by loved ones or feeling alone—Jesus is with you. He came into the world to walk among us, share in our trials and triumphs, and bring us hope and salvation. In Him, we are never truly alone. We find comfort and compassion—gifts that endure through every season of life.
