Romans 15:13 – Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NASB)

As a young "baby Christian" mother of two sons, I missed my parents terribly. They lived nearly 700 miles from my young family. I looked forward to Christmas so much in the years when they could make the drive and bring along my younger siblings and my grandmother to spend a week with us. My very young boys knew them because I spent time showing their pictures and telling stories about them. Anticipation for their arrival was at a high pitch.

Then — the visit came to an end in an instant. Our nurturing and enjoyable time was over as the family waved their goodbyes from the car, as my dad drove out of sight. I felt so alone because I had no idea when I would see them again. I felt as if they were gone forever. My tears automatically flowed without warning for several days. I didn't know at that time that I had a Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God, living within me to comfort me. I felt so alone.

We hear people say that somewhere during the holiday or shortly afterward, they feel deflated, like the air has been let out of their balloon. There are many reasons that people feel sad, alone, or empty, and may even be grieving. All types of preparations, unmet expectations, isolation because of health, age, not having family around, or other loneliness can bring on depression or feelings of loss. This wears people down. These feelings are real and need to be acknowledged.

Have we prayed for God's strength to keep our focus, energy, and emotions balanced? Have we drawn on His love to fill the emptiness that we feel during this time?

We believers have an incredible Lord Who has given us His Holy Spirit to comfort us. The Holy Spirit never leaves us, He prays with and for us, and He helps us to overcome feelings of depression or grief with the sunshine of His love. He delights in warming us with His presence. In time, He will restore our mind and renew our energy. He will comfort us in our time of sadness, and then, He will lift us up and balance us in His mercy and grace. He is ever-present and will not abandon us.

How amazing it is that He can calm our deepest fears and lift our hopes, so that we can function again. Remember that the Holy Spirit lives and breathes within you. Do you know the Holy Spirit? Do you understand that He is the power of God to work in your life?

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we pray that new people may come to know You, and that we believers may learn to live in the resurrected power, comfort, and hope of the Holy Spirit. We praise Your holy name. Amen.

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About the author:

Karen Milam <karenbmilam@gmail.com>
Penn Valley, California, USA
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