Some of the women at the Lydia Center were able to enjoy Christmas Day with their families, but some stayed at the Center. Those who stayed were struggling with not being with family.

Christmas morning I led a little devotional with those who stayed, and I shared about my son. Three years ago, he was in rehab over Christmas. It was really hard to be away from him, but where he is today at age 19, and what all he has accomplished so far, I know I’ll have many more Christmases with him. He has stopped using drugs, he graduated from high school, he graduated from YTI near the top of his class and he has a good job. Looking back, I am happy to give up that one Christmas because I know now I’ll have many more with him.

The women seemed to take comfort in that, and they were really encouraged.

But one woman in particular, Jamie, was really having a hard time. She was thinking about her past and the fact that her daughter had passed away several years ago, and she was really struggling with that. But God used her daughter’s middle name, Grace, to show her on Christmas Day just how much He loves her.

First, early Christmas morning, Jamie learned that one of the staff had a granddaughter born that day, and she was given Grace as her middle name. Then Jamie received a cookbook as a gift that used the word Grace. For Jamie, seeing the word Grace pop up in several ways on Christmas Day meant to her that God was showing her how personal He was. She went from feeling depressed to laughing and feeling bubbly.

Thank you, God, for thinking of us in such personal and individual ways.

By Carrie Libonati, Learning Center Instructor, Lydia Center