As Christmas and the holidays draw near, a couple phrases come to mind: "Joy to the World!" and "The Weary World Rejoices." It's interesting how these two lines in our traditional Christmas songs can be so true and yet so conflicting. "Joy to the World" invites feelings of celebration, togetherness and warmth. Decorating Christmas trees, eating cookies and listening to Charlie Brown Christmas album on repeat (it is the best Christmas music after all). While "The Weary World Rejoices" sounds a lot like how many of us actually experience Christmas time. Painful. Exhausting. Chaotic.

We rejoice knowing that Jesus came to us as the least of these - a baby born in slop - that He was killed to be our sacrifice, and rose from death, solidifying that he is in fact God, the maker of all things and that not even death can contain him.

Jesus came to us as the least of these - a baby born in slop.

We rejoice because we know why we celebrate Christmas, yet many of us rejoice out of a place of being weary. For many of us, our holiday family-time isn't a Joy to the World experience because it hurts to be together. Maybe this is because family relationships are broken, or have been wounded, or because some type of rupture has occurred and the repair has not yet been made.

For some of us the holidays are reminders that our special loved one is no longer with us and their gift will no longer be under that tree. Maybe the holidays are difficult because we can no longer be in relationship with our family for one reason or another, or because we never knew our biological family as a result of adoption or separation.

It's not lost on us that the holidays can be equal parts “Joy to the World” and “The Weary World Rejoices.” If you find yourself having a difficult time this holiday season for any reason, please know that you are not alone. You never were. You have a God-Father who loves you so much, knows you more intimately than you realize, and is in the holy business of restoration of hearts and families.

But you also have us - group of therapists who know the Lord and know how to care for broken hearts in a therapeutic capacity. If you'd like to get started now or any time in the future with one of our therapists, reach out on our website and click Make An Appointment. We'll tenderly hold your pain and walk you through the therapeutic, healing process.

Happy Holidays,

Alex Thompson and the Cumberland Counseling Team