Thriving Through the Holidays: 5 Days of Hope for the Military Wife This ChristmasSample

Discovering Joy in Simple Gifts

There are few things I love more than sitting next to a lit-up Christmas tree in December. Add a fireplace to the mix, and that's where you'll find me well before and after the Christmas season. It's these simple moments I have learned to be intentional to look for when my Christmas traditions are constantly shifting with the demands of military life.

I am more thankful than ever that my hope and joy do not rest in traditions or the world's promises. Because this year, we will be navigating a deployment over the holidays.

It's hard to think about wrapping gifts alone or watching family Christmas movies without my husband. My heart aches at the thought that my husband will wake up on Christmas morning a world away and without us. My hands ache at the thought of taking down Christmas lights in the freezing cold by myself after Christmas has come and gone.

But the loneliness that meets a military wife at Christmas is exactly why we need Jesus. The sweet and simple gift of salvation is this: Christ came so that we may "have life, and have it to the full." Celebrating the season isn't always easy, but if our hearts are postured on the real reason for celebration, Jesus, then we have much to rejoice over, no matter our circumstances.

The reason I love sitting next to a Christmas tree is because the gift of light in winter is so intentional. It is a reminder of Christ in our homes. He tells us, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." This means that no matter where we are, in the middle of a deployment, stationed somewhere we would rather not be, or walking through dark times, Christ is with us.

Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. Friend, I pray that you will remember this truth: no matter our circumstances at Christmas or throughout the year, we can tap into the goodness of the God who loves us. May we see Him more clearly in the simple gift of Christmas lights, feel His warmth as we sip cocoa with our children, and marvel at His creativity as snowflakes fall around us. Each day, and especially at Christmas, may we worship our Savior just as the angels proclaimed His glory on the hillside all those years ago, "Glory to God in the highest!"