A Holiday Devotional for Anyone Who’s Struggling to Feel the Season

Yesterday at CVS, someone looked up and said, “Merry Christmas.” 🎁 Simple words. 🎄 Ordinary moment. But it hit me — that was the first time anyone had said it to me this year.

And you know what? I didn’t get that old fuzzy feeling I used to get growing up. No warm rush. No spark. Just a quiet smile.

Because somewhere along the way, Christmas stopped being a date on the calendar for me… ✨ It became something I carry every single morning I wake up.

🌅 When Every Sunrise Becomes a Gift

Back in 2018, a doctor told me I had about five years to live. Throat cancer. Five years.

And wouldn’t you know it — right when those five years were up, 2023 greeted me with lung cancer.

But here I am. Still breathing. Still waking up. Still walking into CVS and leaving with a reminder that life is a miracle. 🙏 I don’t need December 25th to feel blessed. I feel it every time my feet hit the floor in the morning.

🎁 The Gift That Doesn’t Come Wrapped

At 63, not much excites me anymore. Life has a way of sanding down the edges — the highs aren’t as high, the lows aren’t as low, and the holidays don’t always sparkle like they used to.

But here’s the truth I’ve learned:

✨ Joy doesn’t always come with fireworks. Sometimes it comes quietly — like breath in your lungs.

Sometimes the miracle isn’t the feeling. It’s the fact that you’re still here to feel anything at all.

💛 For Anyone Struggling This Season

If the holidays feel heavy… If you’re numb… If you’re tired… If you’re just trying to make it through the day…

You’re not broken. You’re human. And you’re not alone.

The world tells us Christmas should feel magical — but real life doesn’t always line up with the commercials. Some years are loud and joyful. Some years are quiet and survival‑shaped.

But even in the quiet years, God is still writing. Still holding. Still giving breath. 🌟 Still showing up in the smallest places.

🙏 A Prayer for the One Who Needs Hope

Lord, for the one reading this who feels empty, tired, or disconnected this season — remind them that Your presence isn’t seasonal. You meet us in hospital rooms, in quiet mornings, in checkout lines at CVS. Help them see the small miracles in their day, and give them strength for the moments that feel heavy. Let them know they’re not forgotten, not overlooked, and not alone. Amen.

🎄 Christmas Isn’t a Day — It’s a Perspective

I may not get the same warm feeling I had as a kid. But I’ve gained something deeper:

✨ A Christmas that lives in my gratitude, not my emotions. ✨ A Christmas that shows up every time I wake up. ✨ A Christmas that cancer couldn’t take from me.

And if you’re reading this — maybe today can be your Christmas too.

Not because of lights or gifts or music… But because you’re still here. Still breathing. Still part of a story that isn’t finished yet. ❤️ Still held by a God who hasn’t let go.