No matter how great the Christmas holidays, if we are sensitive to our hearts, most of us will still sense a longing for more. That feeling clearly arises when holidays have been disappointing or even hurtful but we typically chalk it up to unmet expectations, people letting us down, or losses we have experienced around this time of year. A dear friend of ours lost his wife Donya to cancer Christmas Eve morning and that feeling of loss, helplessness, and even anger at the injustice of death may be anchored to lights and Christmas carols for seasons to come.

But I believe there is more to it. For the season that was birthed out of the coming of a Savior, there is a special sense of “what ought to be in the world” – peace on earth and good will toward men. There is a sense that families should be gathered together surrounded by crackling fires, extravagant food, lighthearted laughter, and warm memories. When those things don’t appear we feel robbed. But even when they do, there still seems to be an emptiness or a longing lurking in our hearts when the last friend or family member drives away.

I believe that little prick of emptiness is a longing for heaven that God has placed in our hearts. Christmas, at its best, gives us a faint echo of the way things ought to be and the way things are in heaven. Joy to the world can only come from heaven. Our Father’s intention was that we would live in harmony, abundance, and joy. His intention was that people who loved one another would never be separated by death or distance. His intention was that people would live in safety and in communities where people felt at home, supported, and connected. The world, even at its best, falls short of heaven’s promise.

But there are moments around Christmas when we can sense the presence of heaven. Perhaps, we sense it in a warm hug given and held by people we love or a Christmas card reminding us of friends far away. Perhaps, we sense in it children’s laughter or the warm smiles of family and friends around the table as we share the fellowship of lovingly prepared food. Perhaps, we sense heaven’s peace in the quiet of a chilly night with Christmas lights in the distance or when we notice God’s stars in the sky for the first time in a long time. Perhaps, we even sense heaven in the excitement of packages being unwrapped and the surprises that emerge. All of that, speaks to me of heaven and the longing we have is to be home where every day feels like Christmas and the family is all together without the brokenness or bitterness of this world intruding on God’s plan.

If this Christmas left you a little empty or left a vague feeling of disappointment, you are not alone and you are not defective. Ultimately, it is the Father calling you home and the promise that your hunger for love, laughter, and security will some day be satisfied for all those who are in Jesus – the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God and Everlasting Father (Isa.9:6). When Christmas falls short it is not God letting us down. It is the sin that violates every intention of God that gets in the way, but when Christmas blesses in even the smallest ways that is a gift from heaven, purchased by the blood of the Lamb, calling us home. Pay attention to the blessings rather than the disappointments for each blessing is a touch from Jesus.