During the holiday season, many people struggle with loneliness. The sounds, lights, talk of family, money, shopping, food, etc, lead people with emptiness to battle. However, we all deal with feelings of loneliness at some point in our lives. We all face feelings of emptiness, which leaves us wondering, "Why?" which pushes us further into striving to fill the void with things of this world. I believe that human beings are puzzles, no one person is the same. We are "knit together in our mother's womb". "For everything God created is good..." (1 Timothy 4:4) which begs the question, why do we reject those things that are good?Most of us have put together a puzzle at some point in our lives. Unless you are doing one of those 10 piece puzzles made for 5 year olds, puzzles can be a bit laborious and frustrating. Each piece has its place, and there are often several pieces that look alike and appear to fit. But as you move along in the puzzle, you find out that a piece you placed an hour ago isn't right, and the rest of the puzzle won't go together unless you remove that piece and place the proper one in its place. The process of putting together a puzzle is very similar to how our lives work. We go through life with feelings of emptiness and loneliness, and find things along the way to try to fill the void. These things range from unhealthy relationships, drugs, sex, money, our jobs, our appearance, our material possessions, and the list goes on and on. However, each one of these things disrupts the whole process of our lives, and while they may seem to fill the void, acting as the "missing piece" for a while, we eventually find that the rest of our lives will never work until we remove that piece and replace it with the "peace" that was intended. This Peace is the saving grace of Jesus Christ. His love and grace not only completes the puzzle that is our lives, it is the foundation on which the puzzle is made. Therefore, while the holiday season can be a very lonely time for many of us, there is a gift available unlike any gift waiting to be unwrapped under your tree. It is the love of Christ; the basis of Christmas. For myself, Christmas has become so commercialized it is difficult to enjoy it. However, when I remember not only the true reason for Christmas, but also the reason my void is now filled, my heart is no longer two sizes too small.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14: 27
