As we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, there’s so much public celebration. I ran into the grocery store and a woman was singing a Christmas Carol behind the deli counter. Then a gentleman struck up a conversation with me and we chatted about what Thanksgiving would look like in our homes and then wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving as he left.

People often say that this is their favorite time of the year, because everyone is so happy.

But not everyone is happy. Some people are pretty sad, lonely and/or depressed. Perhaps it’s because of the recent loss of a loved one or maybe they’ll be alone and have no family around on the holidays. Sometimes people don’t care for the holidays because they have bad memories that they associate with the holidays and sometimes it is just because they don’t have the means to even celebrate them the way that everyone else does. There are any number of reasons why people may feel this way. But the bottom line is we are surrounded by people during the holiday season and some of them are pretty sad and lonely. Will we even notice?

In Luke 14 Jesus told us who to invite when we have a feast like most of us will on Thanksgiving and Christmas – “He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12-14

He even tells us in Matthew 25, that when we serve others that are in situations of need, it is the same as serving Him. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

We are the light of the world (“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16). We are to be God’s hands and feet and to minister to those in need and who are hurting. Will we do as He has asked, or will we be so busy that we won’t even notice them.

I pray that during this holiday season we would not be so consumed by the festivities that we fail to notice those around us. I pray that the Holy Spirit would make us hypersensitive to those around us who are lonely, broken or in need and that we would heed His leading and be God’s hands and feet. I pray that we would minister to those around us in the same manner we would, if it were Jesus Himself. Let’s meet needs, glorify Him and spread joy!

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your and you yourself are hurting or lonely and perhaps not looking forward to the holidays, I pray that you would go to our life preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. Jesus desires to spend the holidays with you (Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20), please pray. Once you have prayed this prayer, please reach out to me at admin@forgiven-n-loved.com and let me know so that I can be in prayer for you and hopefully might be able to help you grow in your knowledge of and relationship with our Precious Savior, Jesus Christ.