But how can I be when I have nobody
The yuletide carol doesn’t make it better
Knowing that we won’t be together”
As I sit back in the comfort of my own thoughts, those lyrics sung by the Emotions ruminate through my soul. It illustrates that not everyone’s hearts are filled with Christmas cheer this year. The year 2020 has brought many of us through the wringer. It leaves us with very little to cherish this holiday season. Maybe you lost a loved one, lost your job, or maybe lost yourself this year. To put it simply maybe you just lost all hope. Just know that you are not alone in your journey. Know that your feelings are valid. And also know that you have the ability to rise above whatever is holding you down.
Lot’s of Pain This Year
Take Karl Anthony Towns for example. He lost his mother this year due to complications of COVID-19. Or consider Vanessa Bryant who lost her daughter and husband in a horrific aircraft accident in the earlier this year. Like thousands of others, these are two individuals who will be spending their first Christmas without the ones they love. This reality may seem harsh, but you have to believe that for every tragedy there is a triumph. The only way grief and loneliness can overtake you, is if you allow it too. Your trials and setbacks weren’t meant to kill you. They make you stronger. So, if you have stumbled across this article and happened to take the time to read it, just know that I am calling you out of that dark place. Know that I am exposing the weight of loneliness so that you are no longer burdened by situations, people, and things that you cannot control.
What do The Lonely Do at Christmas?
It is important to know that loneliness only lasts for a season. Loneliness is only temporary for those who make the choice not to dwell in it forever. In life there are seasons for everything, seasons of loss and loneliness, and seasons of joy, reaping, and sowing. Every season of life brings about change. And change doesn’t always feel good but it’s necessary. I want you to make a choice in this season to appreciate the small things. Appreciate the fact that even though you may have little money to your name, you still have a roof over your head, and even though you may have a minor affliction in your body, you still have the activity of your limbs, be grateful that even though you may have lost so much this year, that you haven’t lost your mind.
There is hope
You ask what do the lonely do at Christmas? I want you to know that the nights you may spend alone during this holiday season don’t have to be silent and your spirit doesn’t have to be stifled by the depths of loneliness. I want you to know that God is faithful to deliver you from anything. And I do mean anything that you are going through, you just have to trust him when you can’t trace him. As long as you have breath in your body, you have the opportunity to live again and enjoy the fullness of life. Once you make the decision to cry your last tear, regaining your strength back won’t seem like you are climbing up a steep hill.
So, as I conclude this message, I want you to know that you are loved, and that isolation, depression, and loneliness is not your portion. I want you to take this time to reconnect with others and yourself. Open up your heart to receive joy and peace and allow the spirit of unity to be your place of refuge.
What do the lonely do at Christmas? May your holiday be filled with great love and cheer,