Home Come to You

Christmas can feel like a contradiction.

Some count down the days with excitement. They gather with family and laugh late into the night. They exchange gifts and enjoy festive meals that remind them they are loved. For them, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

But for others, the very same season highlights what hurts. Family tensions resurface. An empty chair silently reminds you who is missing. Money feels tight and expectations feel heavy. One of my pastors used to say Christmas means “buying presents for people you don’t like with money you don’t have.” Yikes. Joy and sorrow sit side by side.

I remember my first Christmas as a married man in 2015. I grew up with seven brothers, including two with special needs. Our home was full of noise and humor and many great memories. Yet as the middle child I often felt overlooked. That year with my wife felt different. It was just the two of us. We had a tiny tree, a simple charcuterie board, and watched “It’s a Wonderful Life”. We didn’t have much, but I experienced a warmth of belonging I had always longed for.

We are created for presence. We want a love that does not run out and a home where we never have to compete to matter. This is what the Psalmist longs for in the house of the Lord. Not just a place, but a relationship with the God who delights to welcome us.

This is the miracle of Christmas. The true Home of our hearts came to us in Jesus Christ. He did not come to offer temporary holiday cheer. He came so we could belong to a perfect family forever.

Every joy. Every ache. Every longing points us to Him. When the decorations come down, He remains. Hope is not an emotion. Hope is a Person. Jesus is God with us. He is our belonging. He is our security. He is our Home.

So whether this season brings celebration or sorrow or both, you do not have to wonder where you fit. Your Home has already come to you.