If you ever find yourself in pieces today, know that you are loved and there is no more perfect time to remember this than this season.
We’re all broken.
One of the things that’s been glaring to me as I turn 40 is that we are all broken. Each of us carries our own kind of brokenness. For some, like me still, it’s the weight of grief—a loved one gone too soon. For others, it’s the ache of unmet expectations, shattered dreams, or the quiet pain of feeling unseen. While the world around us this Christmas season shines with lights, laughter, and celebrations, we may find ourselves feeling out of place, unable to join in the festive spirit.
I would dare to say that actually, Christmas is for the broken.
It’s not just for those who are elated and full of joy celebrating the highs of life. Christmas is for you, for me, for all of us who know the ache of longing and the heaviness of life’s burdens. It’s the story of God stepping into our mess, sending His Son, Jesus, to live among us. He didn’t come into a perfect, polished world; He came into a broken one. Born in a manger, surrounded by the ordinary, Jesus came to heal, to restore, and to redeem. I was also imagining if God the Father were human then He would have also mourned sending His only Son to earth knowing what Jesus will eventually face in mankind’s hands. But God also knew that suffering is not the end, that Christ will be victorious. And so if He mourned He would have also looked forward to the victory of Christ. We, too, can mourn and at the same time look forward.
Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. Isn’t peace what our hearts long for when we feel broken? Christmas is the reminder that God sees our pain and meets us in it. He sent Jesus not for the perfect, but for the hurting—for those who feel like they have little left to give.
If your heart feels heavy this season, know this: Christmas is for you.
It’s the celebration of a Savior who came to make all things new, including you. Lean into the quiet truth of the season. Allow the hope of Christ’s birth to fill the spaces where you feel empty. We do not have to be jolly, but we can have peace. This Christmas, even in our brokenness, we can find comfort in knowing that Jesus came for us. That’s the beauty of Emmanuel—God with us. Always. Even now. He is the one who came to save, and He is the one who continues to invite us:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jesus (Matthew 11:28–30)
May we all find rest for our souls in Christ, whose birth we celebrate this season, whose birth had us in mind, whose birth was for us.
May you find peace in your pause this season. Here’s a collection of short 5-day devotionals—I hope this helps and encourages you today.
