I wish my mother was here, she thinks as she looks over the unfamiliar surroundings. But she didn’t leave on the greatest terms with her mother, and her mother isn’t here.

She wearily pushes her hair out of her eyes as the landscape continues to change. What a week. What a year!

Change is hard. It fills her with no little measure of uncertainty and yes, even some fear. She misses her own home, her own room, her family.

She is surrounded by people. So many people, but she is not part of them. They move around her, break in front of her, and interrupt her progress without so much as a glance at her.

And this is the time we are living in, she thinks to herself. People are not kind. They are filled with fear and uncertainty, sickness, and even despair. There is no immediate cure. Yet.

Those that have political power have turned the world upside down, with no real concern for the way their decisions have affected the people.

What a day. What a season! As daylight turns to dark, she feels alone. But she is not alone. She has him in front of her, carving out a path through the crowd, looking for a place to stay the night. She puts a hand on her stomach. No, not alone.

That night, she gives birth to the Savior of the world. In a season full of sickness and pain, political stress and uncertainty, loneliness and heartache, Mary finds peace in the only One who can give it.

Jesus was born in a world that craved His presence. He is the only cure for our darkness, our sickness, and our sin. He is the only One who can give us joy this Christmas, and any day of the year!

This year’s Christmas season is not ideal for many. Our circumstances bring us sadness, fear, and loneliness, but our Savior brings us joy and peace.

If you feel alone this Christmas, spend your holiday with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and let Him usher in a joy that the world can never give you!

Merry Christmas, friends!