This is a reminder that you are not alone this Christmas. Hebrews 13:5 reminds us that God will never leave or forsake us. The disciples faced separation anxiety before Jesus left. Jesus reminded them that his leaving was a good thing. He promised them comfort and the Holy Spirit.

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Here’s today’s, spoonful of courage. Yesterday I had one of the most eye-opening experiences. I dropped my wife off at the hospital with people I didn’t even know to have a surgery in a state far away from where we live, and I experienced an emotion called separation anxiety. If you think about it, everybody is experiencing separation anxiety in some form or fashion. It may be not being able to visit with your loved ones for Christmas. It may be having a loved one behind a door in an I C U or in a hospital suffering with COVID where you can’t be there. It may be that you’re, a senior adult, and you’re quarantined to your house and unable to see people because of the COVID virus. I want to remind you of one thing. Separation anxiety, in a sense, has some opportunities that we can benefit from. If you think about the upper room discourse and the time before Jesus left, he told the disciples he was leaving. There was a lot of separation anxiety. Thomas asked Lord: where are you going? Everybody told Jesus, no. No, you can’t, go. You can’t leave us. We need you Jesus. But you see in that time of separation, there was something very wonderful happening in that time of separation. Jesus gave some promises to the disciples. He reminded them that he would not leave them alone, that he was going to send the Holy Spirit who would live inside them, and they would not be hindered from any type of geographic location. Nothing could keep them from being with God. The Holy Spirit would be inside and they would do greater works. What a wonderful gift that was. But it all began with separation. And so, if you’re going through a time of separation, let me remind you that this is just for a season. God has a plan for this. God has an opportunity for this, and he has also promised that he will never leave us. Hebrews 13 5 says that i will never leave you or forsake. You have a good Christmas.