I didn’t grow up celebrating holidays. Gift-giving has always felt foreign to me because, in my household, we didn’t exchange or receive gifts. I don’t have memories of waking up on Christmas morning and opening presents.

I was raised in a single-parent home, well below the poverty level. My mom did what she could, but sometimes it wasn’t enough to cover a want. I learned early to be okay with what she could afford and to move on.

That context matters, because holidays have always signified service for me. From high school on, I signed up for service projects around the city. I wanted to be useful. I wanted to work with my hands. I never felt the absence of what Christmas “should” look like, because I found joy in what I could do for others.

Years later, Christmas took on an even deeper meaning when I came to understand the gift of salvation through our Savior and the celebration of His life.

Being raised poor was far from ideal, but my mom always kept me in church. The church became a safety net for us. Through it, our needs were met, and the Lord used His people to teach me how to love – deeply, intentionally, and personally – to truly see the one.

So as you move through this week and beyond, I encourage you to keep Jesus at the center. Ask Him to highlight one person in your life – someone you can notice, serve, encourage, or simply show up for. Bring His light to them this season and beyond.

This may not be a typical holiday message, but it’s an invitation:

to see the one, to serve the one, and to love the way we’ve been loved.

Merry Christmas! 

Squeezing you tight, 

De