When You Feel Spiritually Numb

I came to a saving faith in Christ in my 30s, by which time I had read, heard about, or seen the Nativity story many times. A Charlie Brown Christmas probably gave me my first real reference point, and my parents shared a few highlights every December 25th—which also happens to be my birthday. I learned that a baby was born in a manger and that Magi brought gifts, but I never thought to ask what a manger or Magi actually were.

When I was about five years old, my parents told me, “You were born on the same day as Jesus,” as though we shared a celebrity birthday. I didn’t understand that He was the reason for Christmas—that the day itself is only special because of Him. It wasn’t until much later that I realized Christmas is about the birth of Christ—that the word Christmas literally means Christ’s Mass, a celebration of the moment Christ-followers honor the truth that Jesus left His throne to live among us, before going to the cross, rising from the dead, and promising to return.

After coming to faith in Jesus as Savior and King, I began to explore the Nativity more deeply. I learned about the hardship Mary and Joseph endured, the significance of angels appearing to shepherds, the humility of Jesus’ birth, and the faith required of His earthly parents. I had assumed I lost the wonder of Christmas somewhere between childhood and adulthood—left behind with stories of Santa Claus and flying reindeer. Instead, Scripture has given me a deeper, truer awe. Each Advent season, I return to the Nativity with fresh eyes, longing to understand the faith of Mary and Joseph and the love of a Savior who left the comfort of heaven for the heartbreak of humanity.

We often assume the “magic” of Christmas fades because we outgrow childish stories. A man visiting every home in one night. Reindeer that fly. Perfect trees, glossy paper, twinkling lights. These things feel most magical when we are children—or when we experience them again through children we love. But when we worship the risen Savior, the wonder of Christmas is not lost—it is transformed. The spectacle of a secular holiday gives way to something richer, deeper, and infinitely more miraculous because it is real.

These beautiful traditions, though fleeting, point us toward an event of eternal significance. The birth of Christ invites joy and wonder not bound by age, emotion, or circumstance. Even when we feel spiritually numb, the truth remains: God came near. And that changes everything.

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation.”
— Psalm 51:12

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YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
Please restore the wonder of Christmas to my world-weary heart as this Advent season begins. Let the first candle stir my soul more deeply than any countdown calendar or familiar seasonal song. Your Son came down—how can I not be filled with awe when I truly consider what that means?

And yet, I confess that I sometimes forget to treat this miracle with the reverence and wonder it deserves. Forgive me. I am still waiting for Him, and I want to wait with joy, remembering that I have never seen anything as beautiful as Jesus Christ. No decorated tree could ever compare to His glory.

One day, I will see His face and weep with joy in the presence of His power and love. Until then, restore my joy and renew my wonder.
Amen.

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THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. Jesus was a real baby. He experienced helplessness, illness, injury, growth, and vulnerability. How incredible that our Savior truly understands what it means to be human—weak, awkward at times, and dependent.

2. As followers of Christ, our story mirrors His. We cannot wear our crowns as co-heirs of the Kingdom without first learning humility. Faith may require endurance, sacrifice, and waiting, but it lead

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Life Audio. Thank you for tuning in to your nightly Prayer,
a podcast designed to help you rest and connect with
your Father in Heaven as the day ends. God is
ready to meet you in this moment of peace. As
you settle into sleep. After this short word from our sponsor,

(00:25):
we'll encounter tonight's devotional when you feel spiritually Numb, written
by Candice Lucy and read by your host, Brooke McLoughlin.

(00:45):
Tonight's scripture Restore to me the Joy of Your Salvation,
Psalm fifty one, p. Twelve. Something to ponder. I came
to a saving faith in Christ in my thirties, by
which time I had read, heard about, or seen the
Nativity Play many times. The Peanuts Christmas Special probably gave

(01:09):
me my first real reference point, but my parents also
shared a few of the highlights. Every December twenty fifth,
which is also my birthday. I learned mostly that the
baby was born in a manger and that MADGEI brought gifts,
but never thought to ask what a manger or magi were.
When I was about five years old, they told me

(01:31):
you were born on the same day as Jesus, as
though I shared a celebrity birthday, but I did not
understand that He was the reason for Christmas, that Christmas
Day is only special because of him. Only later did
I realize that Christmas is all about the birth of Christ,
that Christmas literally means Christ's Mass, when christ followers celebrate

(01:55):
that He left his throne to live among us before
going to the cross and being resurrected from the dead.
We celebrate this special day in anticipation of his return.
With my new found faith in Jesus as Savior and King,
I started learning about the Nativity in greater depth, all

(02:16):
of the hardship that Mary and Joseph faced, the real
significance of angels going to the shepherds with their news
of Jesus's humble birth, of Mary and Joseph's respective decisions
to trust God and take on their difficult role as
parents of the prophesied Savior. I thought I had lost
the wonder of Christmas, left it behind with stories about

(02:38):
Santa Claus and flying reindeer. Instead, scripture has been revealing
to me a new and deeper sense of awe. As
I explore the Nativity each Advent season with fresh eyes,
hungry to understand Mary and Joseph's faith, I yearned to
know the Savior who would leave the comfort of heaven

(02:59):
for the heart break of humanity. We often want to
associate the lost magic of Christmas with fanciful tales we
can never believe as adults because they're ridiculous but fun.
A bearded man in a suit slips down the chimneys
of every home around the world in one night is
reindeer fly. Beautifully decorated trees, glossy wrapping paper, and colored

(03:24):
strings of light are facets of a special holiday season
that is most lustrous when we are children, or when
we have children in our lives, through whom we can
vicariously experience the wonder once more. But when we worship
the risen Savior, the awe of Christmas as a secular
holiday is replaced by something richer and more miraculous, because

(03:49):
it is real. Beautiful magical traditions that illuminate a dreary
season are only a hollow slate of hand. They do, however,
point to an event of lasting, supernatural significance, which can
inform a sense of joy and wonder at any stage
of our lives. Your nightly prayer, Father, please restore the

(04:15):
wonder of Christmas to my world weary heart. As the
advent season begins, let the first candle stir my emotions
more deeply than the first day of a chocolate calendar
ever could, or the earliest bursts of lively seasonal music
played on the radio. God, your son came down. How

(04:36):
can I not be inspired with all when I realize
what that really means? And yet sometimes I do forget
to regard that event with the respect and wonder that
he deserves. Right now, I'm still waiting for him. And
let me wait joyfully knowing that I have never seen

(04:56):
anything or anyone as beautiful as Jesus Christ. No eight
foot decorated fir tree can ever be as wondrous as
he is. I will see his face one day and
cry for joy in the presence of his power and love.
Three things to meditate upon. Number One, Jesus was a

(05:18):
real baby. He had to go through the indignities of helplessness,
endure illness and injury, and experience the changes of puberty.
How awe inspiring that the Lord, our Savior really does
know what it feels like to be a human being, weak,
awkward at times, and vulnerable. Two. We are wedded to

(05:42):
this Savior, and therefore our start in this new life
of faith is the same as his. We cannot wear
our crown as co heirs of the kingdom until we
first live into humility as children in the stable, refugees
from our own world, on the run from the powers
that want us dead. The wondrous gifts of faith come

(06:05):
at a high price, and we might have to endure
a lot before we receive our full reward, eternal life
in the presence of Christ. And number three, If we
ever think the joys of a secular life are worthwhile,
and we might as well trade in the hurt of
the Christian faith for the relief of a vague agnosticism,

(06:26):
we are trading in something of eternal value for superficial
and short lived gifts. Even when the happiness and spectacle
are at their best, they never last, and we are
left feeling hollow. This is because anything other than Christ
cannot really satisfy for long. Besides, we were made for

(06:48):
union with our Creator. He came to meet us, and
he is coming to get us. We just don't need
to sit vigil near a decorated fir tree watching a
chimney for activeyvity. He's coming on the clouds, and he
doesn't need flying reindeer to get here. Thank you for

(07:10):
listening to your Nightly Prayer, a production of the Life
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