Between hallmark movies, carriage rides through light displays, Christmas parties and mistletoe, it’s kind of hard not to associate Christmas time with romance. In fact, the entire holiday season has kind of turned into the season of romance. Thanksgiving dinner is filled with questions about your love life, then when you get through the Christmas stuff, New Years rolls around to remind you that you don’t have a midnight kiss! Being single during the holidays is certainly challenging.
The other day as I was walking through Target drooling at all the Christmas décor, I remember going down the list of “I cant wait’s”. “I cant wait until I’m married and we can have cute matching stockings”; “until I have a house to decorate instead of just a room”; “I can’t wait to throw Christmas and New Years Eve parties at our cute house with our matching stockings” “I can’t wait until I can read all these adorable Christmas children’s books to my kids”… you get it.
After a few minutes of letting my mind wander I honestly got mad at myself. Rather than soaking in all the excitement of this season and enjoying the people with me, I was focused on what I lack. I had opened the door to discontentment and gave it power to rob me of my joy.
It’s kind of interesting how in the season of parties and family gatherings, we can still feel lonely. While I love Christmas movies, sometimes after watching my fifth one that week I can start to feel a little sad that I don’t have someone to go ice-skating with as we both fall and look up to see mistletoe hanging over us so conveniently (I feel like this scene is literally in every hallmark movie).
Everything can sort of feel bittersweet. But I don’t want it to be that way! I have to remind myself that Christmas never was about my relationship status. It’s not about mistletoe, ice-skating in the park or even falling in love. It’s about a Love that I already have. A Love that came to my world to know my soul. And that’s way more beautiful than any love story hallmark can create.
At Christmas time, we celebrate advent as we remember a time when Israel awaited their promised Messiah. We also celebrate the awaited return of our Messiah. It’s a beautiful season of love and waiting. As I wait for my future I rest in my present Savior’s love. I celebrate His birth and long for the day He returns to take me home.
So if you’re single during this holiday season, I feel you. It can definitely be bittersweet and its okay to be a little sad at times! But I would encourage you to keep your perspective in check. Focus on everything you have from the big things like family and friends to the little things like hot chocolate, snow and Christmas lights. Most importantly spend time with Jesus praising him for his birth.
My favorite name of Jesus is Immanuel because it means “God with us”. How amazing is it that the all-powerful God who holds the universe in the cup of his hand became a beautiful baby who once wrapped that entire hand around his mother’s finger. He is with us- He is with you- and you are never alone. This is love. This is Christmas.
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