Christmas Day: God With Us

Today doesn’t need much explanation.

After the buildup, the planning, the expectations—spoken and unspoken—Christmas Day arrives quietly. The noise softens. The calendar pauses. And we’re left with the simple, weighty truth at the center of the story.

God is with us.

Not because everything went according to plan.
Not because the world finally slowed down.
But because God chose nearness.

The Christmas story reminds us that God did not wait for ideal conditions. He entered the world as it was—messy, uncertain, and longing. He came to be present, not distant. To dwell, not observe. To bring peace not by removing tension, but by stepping into it.

For some, today will be full and joyful. For others, it may feel quieter—or heavier—than expected. Christmas has a way of holding both at the same time. And the good news is that Christ meets us in both.

There is no pressure today to figure everything out.
No need to resolve what remains unfinished.
No expectation to feel anything in particular.

Christmas Day is not about how much we experience—it’s about what has been given.

So wherever you find yourself today, allow the truth of Christmas to rest there with you. God has drawn near. Emmanuel is not a concept to be understood, but a presence to be received.

That is enough for today.

Merry Christmas.

Geoff Cocanower

Geoff Cocanower is a husband, a son, and the Associate Pastor of Student Ministries at Hope Missionary Church in Bluffton, IN where he leads the team of adults who minister to high school students as well as young adults. Geoff co-hosts a podcast focused on the issues, questions, and blessings of leaders who aren’t in the driver seat of the organization called “The Backseat Leadership Podcast.” (Coming February 2020!) Interesting fact about Geoff is that he is a high school football and volleyball referee in his spare time and is a legacy member and loves all things Download Youth Ministry.com.

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When Christmas Feels Just Out of Reach + A Christmas Blessing