“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

Matthew 1:23

This is the wonder of Christmas: God is with us!

It’s the wonder of every Christmas, but this year I have experienced it in remarkable ways.

You see, this Christmas is different for me. My husband and I are officially empty-nesters. This summer my son got married and moved out-of-state. And almost four years ago my daughter moved out-of-continent.

The house feels a bit–empty.

When I was putting up the Christmas decorations this year, I was missing the days of kids clamoring to help. The breathless excitement of anticipating presents under the tree. The wonder of little eyes looking at the manger scene.

I was feeling a bit sad about the emptiness–until God filled my heart–with Himself.

He surprised me with the gift of His presence.

The other day I was turning a corner in my car when suddenly it was filled with God’s presence. My gray sedan felt like God’s tabernacle. I was overwhelmed with a sense of God’s love for me. Immanuel–God with me.

The next day I got up and saw a sunrise–beautiful pinks and purples and blues and God whispered in my ear: I painted this sunrise just for you. My eyes filled with tears. Immanuel–God with me.

Two days later I woke to a world cleansed with a blanket of white. It was almost as if God’s love was coming down from heaven in crystals. Immanuel–God with me.

And so today I am thankful. Even though my house seems a bit empty, my heart is full.

God’s presence filling all the emptiness.

Jesus came to our broken-down world and slept in a barn just to be with us.

Jesus felt hunger and experienced wet diapers simply to be with us.

Jesus consented to being a helpless, crying baby because He wanted to be with us.

Immanuel–God is with us.

Question: How have you sensed God’s presence with you this Christmas season?