During the Christmas season (during any season really), it’s easy to get so busy that we forget that God wants to be “with us”. Between parties and meetings and shopping and food preparation, this time of year becomes a whirlwind of activity, all of which becomes a distraction from the celebration of the One who came two thousand years ago.

Recently at church, we were singing the song, Emmanuel, by Mat Kearney and David Reed, and I was overwhelmed with the power of this idea, that God sent His Son to be “with us”. So many religions and philosophies require us working our way out of our issues or trying to achieve a certain status, but God knew that we could never earn our way back to Him so He provided a new way. Ephesians 2 reminds us that God isn’t looking for our own efforts, but He is responding to His own love for us and making a way for that relationship to be restored. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us… made us alive together with Christ…”

I’m so thankful for that! Take some extra time today to be alone “with God” and remember that He’s “with us” all the time, even in the midst of our busyness. Let’s not be too busy to realize that.