Broke and alone on Christmas? Here’s 4 things you should do

Its that time again. Families all over the world are stashing treats away in their Christmas stockings, advent calendars are keeping children (and adults) busy and broke, companies all over the world are forcing their staff to participate in the Secret Santa and someone somewhere is decorating their sad Christmas tree with all the tinsel they can find…

But that’s not the reality for all of us. Yes, there may be tonnes of families celebrating the holidays by baking gingerbread men and playing Mother Mary in the church Nativity play, however there are others who are single, working on Christmas day and others still who don’t have a penny to their name…to them Christmas is not a holiday, its just another day, and another reminder of the family, friends and life they don’t have.

Speaking from my own experience, I hoped I’d get the chance to travel and see my family this Christmas. I happen to be getting married soon and I thought this could be my last Christmas spent as an unhitched woman, and I would’ve loved to spend it with my family and my fiance` altogether. However, I take comfort in the fact that I’m not truly alone, I have my church and my fiance`, but we all know there’s nothing like being around the whole family on Christmas..

So how do you keep the Christmas spirit alive when you have no friends or family around this holiday season?

1. If you can’t go to church on Christmas day because of work or commitments, watch a Christmas service live stream. Its important to be able to worship with a church family on Christmas day and really spend this day by thanking God for sending His son to earth to be our savior.

More than the Christmas stockings, the rum balls, the belly-laughing Santa, Rudolph the weird-nose reindeer and all of the Christmas cheer, sometimes the essence of Christmas sometimes gets lost. In its true meaning, Christmas should be a time of celebrating Jesus coming to earth. Gifts and all; secondary.

2. Watch Holiday Movies or Listen to Christmas Music: Don’t let loneliness blues get in the way of your festive spirit. Put on some Christmas classics and blast some Pentatonix or Michael Buble Christmas playlists to get yourself ready for Christmas.

3. Enjoy a Solo Holiday Adventure: Take a walk to see holiday decorations, visit a winter market, or explore a new place in your city that’s dressed up for the season.

4. Ask God to remind you of all the things you have to be grateful for, and then go to Him in prayer: It can be easy to feel sorry for ourselves, we may have no money, no family around and no friends even but I’m sure that if we think hard enough, we’ll see the things God has provided us with and we’ll have plenty of things to thank Him for.

Go to Him in prayer and ask Him to remind you of everything He’s given to you and pray for the rest of the things you desire to fall into place. You couldn’t travel to see your family for Christmas? Mourn your loss, but thank God for providing you with a job. Don’t have money to buy gifts? Thank God for the food you’ve had on your plate.

Thank God for your salvation. The eternal gift that money, family or friends can’t buy. You may be broke and feel like you’re alone, but you never really are. God has got you and His birth is something that deserves to be celebrated, whether you do that by eating a Christmas cake all by yourself or you do it by worshipping alone in your room…Christmas can be beautiful depending on how you use that day…doing what matters and thanking God for His son and His salvation.