God has so many names. 

El Shaddai tells us he’s a providing God. 

Adonai reminds us he’s Lord. 

Jehovah Rohi means he’s our Shepherd. 

Jehovah Rapha proclaims he is our Healer. 

I love all of these and more, but I believe my favorite name of God is Immanuel. God with us. 

For those of us in painful marriages during Christmastime, you can hold onto this. Married-lonely is a unique kind of pain.  I know this is so hard, sweet girls. When you find yourself sitting in awkward quietness, or disappointment hovers because the closeness you are so desperate for just isn’t coming through, or when the person who said they’d love you forever not only doesn’t but is actively hurting you, God is with you. He has not abandoned you. 

And for those of us alone during any part of this day because we find ourselves now separated or divorced, we can also hold onto this. Moments ago I sat on my couch with a cup of tea in my hand, my Bible in my lap, a fire in the fireplace, looking out over the snow and the tall evergreen in my backyard, and I am alone. My kids are not with me in this moment. And it’s okay. It really is. Because I remembered that I’m not really alone. I remembered that God came and he keeps coming and he’s here, with me, right now, in the quietness, in the stillness. 

This Christmas day, God is with us. God is with me. God is with you. 

If this post encouraged you, you would benefit from “Unraveling: Hanging onto Faith through the End of a Christian Marriage”, found here or “Living through Divorce as a Christian Woman”, found here.

And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us… -Psalm 90- (Msg)