Holy Night: Meeting Jesus in the Longing

There’s something about winter that exposes vulnerability. Recently, I was flying over the Midwest, gazing out the window at a frozen tundra below. A cold front made temperatures so bitter that negative wind chills could make even the warmest-blooded shudder. But as I looked closer, what struck me wasn’t the cold, but the stark beauty of the snowy woodland.

‍

The trees stretched endlessly in every direction — bony and raw, their branches desperately reaching for the light. But above them, the sky was cloudy and grey, a misty overhang that felt like such gloom. The wilderness felt bare and vulnerable in its emptiness. Yet, in that vulnerability, they were real. The trees stood. They remained in a harsh season. Those trees reminded me of the wintery seasons of life. Times when our hearts feel barren, our souls exposed, and we stand vulnerable before the Lord. Those “not-yet” times, maybe defined by a difficult loss, a challenging diagnosis, a prayer still to be answered. I was reminded that winter — like Advent — is a season of waiting. 

‍

And anticipation. 

‍

Advent is a time when we feel the ache of our own emptiness, yet we stand because we know the promise of God’s coming.

‍

Advent is a season that calls us to embrace these moments of longing. God doesn’t leave us in the rawness of our winter seasons. He uses them. He meets us in our waiting, in the places where we feel unease and unworthiness. These moments are invitations — not to turn away, but to lean into divine comfort.

‍

God works through the rhythmic seasons of life — those of orientation, disorientation, and ultimate reorientation, just as we see all throughout Scripture. He peels back the layers of our self-sufficiency, our shame, and our false identities, and he calls us to depend fully on him. In the waiting, he brings us to a new vista — a place of new perspective, growth, and renewal. And much like those winter trees, we stand vulnerable, but we stand because his love is the root and his grace fuels the environment sustaining us.  

‍

Dear friend, do you find yourself in a time of waiting? If so, I have good news just for you! And it’s a simple Advent message. Your longing calls you back to your true north — a God who comes to meet you. A God who strips away pretense and leads you back to your truest self: beloved, worthy, and known. The unease you feel in these seasons is not a reason to shrink back. It’s an opportunity to trust him more deeply.

‍

Like Mary in Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night, who remembers the faithfulness of God in the past to face the unease of the present, we, too, are invited to remember. The stories of Scripture, the moments in our own lives when God showed up, even when all seemed bleak — these are the truths we hold onto. And as we pray, we reorient our hearts to his faithfulness, to meet in each season the ever-present Emmanuel who is God with us.

‍

Want to discover this message more deeply? We invite you to watch “Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night,” and journey through the Holy Night Discussion Guide. And as you do, we invite you to pray for those around the world who may be feeling uncertain or worried to experience the truth of how much Jesus loves them.

‍

As Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night spreads around the world this holiday season, here’s how you can pray: 

1. Thank God for His Faithfulness: How has God has been faithful in your life? Thank him for those moments and ask for a heart that remains rooted in his love. Pray for those around you who might be longing for hope, that they would know how deeply loved and worthy they are in him.
2. Pray Blessing for Partnering Churches: Pray for the 12,207 churches hosting Christmas with The Chosen events this year — a huge increase since this launched in 2023! Ask for God’s presence to fill each gathering, for hearts to be drawn to Jesus through the worship, message, and fellowship, and for lives to be forever changed.
3. Praise and Pray for Global Impact: Let’s celebrate how this movement is growing! Brazil, Spain and Latin America have more than doubled their Christmas with The Chosen events since last year, and Germany hosted it’s first special screening that welcomed over 400 people. Pray for the teams launching events in the UK, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Italy. Ask for wisdom and creativity as they connect with local communities, and for every person attending to encounter the love and light of Christ this Christmas.

‍

In His Love,

‍

Laura Gish 
Prayer Coordinator
Come and See Foundation

‍