This past year of 2023 has been an incredibly difficult year for hubby and me. It has been a year of giving, and giving, and giving to serve God and love others. It has been absolutely exhausting! When you give and give and give, eventually you give so much that you wind up completely empty. There isn’t anything left to give.
So hubby and I find ourselves at the end of 2023 completely empty, completely wiped, completely spent.
And then … a Christmas card arrives in the mail. It’s from a dear friend whom I haven’t seen in several years! I used to babysit her little girl back in 2017. Oh my! … her family is so beautiful! How her children have grown up! Her daughter is almost a teenager now … she’s so pretty! My heart is nourished! My soul is revived! She thought about me! I’m not forgotten!
The gift of Christmas! Someone thought about me! I’m not forgotten!
The next day … another Christmas card shows up in the mail. It’s from my dear friend Pat! Look! … there she is with her precious family! Oh, she’s doing so well! My heart is deeply nourished! My soul is revived! Pat loves me! Pat was always my inspiration! I always want to be just like her!
The gift of Christmas! Pat thought about me! Pat remembered me! I’m not forgotten!
Yesterday I went to get the mail and there was a Christmas card from our dear friends up in Alaska. Yes, she has sent me photos of their adorable little newborn … in his cozy fleecy little snuggle suit we sent him. But here was a family Christmas card! Oh just look at the boys! They’re getting so big! My heart is filled with joy and happiness! My soul is nourished!
The gift of Christmas! In the middle of caring for a newborn, my friend took the extra effort to send us a Christmas card. I feel so loved! I’m not forgotten!
The gift of Christmas this year, for me, is the gift of not being forgotten. Oftentimes, when you pour yourself out to give and give and give … and then give some more, in order to love and serve others, you wind up feeling very “forgotten.” Of course, you love other people, so you don’t mind giving of yourself to love them and serve them. But it feels really lonely.
And then … God steps in and reminds you that you are not forgotten. You are loved! You are seen! You matter!
This Christmas, if you too are feeling empty … if you too are feeling utterly depleted, exhausted, spent … with nothing left to give … just know that God sees! God sees everything you are giving! God sees and God cares!
You matter! You are not forgotten! You are loved deeply!
