This morning I received a phone call from my nephew. He’s four. At first, I thought it was a prank. Initially, all I heard was heavy breathing and a mumbled voice in the background. Apparently, it took a few seconds for him to get the nerve to speak. The background voice? That was my sister  coaching him. Telling him to talk…into a piece of plastic…to a woman she said was his aunt but whom he couldn’t see. Ah, to live in the head of a child!

But once he got going, he didn’t waste any time getting to the reason for his call. (I wish I would have taped it!)

“Thanks for the—what is the surprise for me and Abby?”

Apparently, my package had arrived.

I laughed, envisioning my giggly nephew prancing through the house, asking my sister again and again, “When can I open my surprise from Aunt Nenny? Please, please can I open it today?” (And no, you cannot call me that. That name is reserved for family members under the age of five.)

His enthusiasm sprinkled joy on my day. But as soon as I got off the phone, I picked it up again. To call a friend who wasn’t viewing the holidays with the same enthusiasm. A friend who would need a steady dose of prayer to get her through.

Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you’ve recently lost a job, or are clinging to a decaying marriage. Or maybe those family members you’re about to visit sour your stomach. If that’s you, if you find the holiday’s to be a bit more grueling than joyful, then this song’s for you. Make this holiday season a time of reflection–a time that you go back to the moment of truth. The day you first talked to Jesus and He reached out for you.  And remember, He’s still reaching for you. He’ll never let you go.