The Christmas season is my favorite. I love the decorating, the lights, the excitement in the air—but more than any of that, it always draws me to reflection. It reminds me of my desperate need for a Savior.

I know Christianity can be misunderstood, and I certainly carried some of those misconceptions myself before I truly believed. But the faith isn’t about being perfect or having it all together. It begins with brokenness. It begins with people who recognize they cannot save themselves. And it begins with a God who steps into our mess—not because we are put together, but because we aren’t.

I didn’t truly grasp the Gospel—or the power behind it—until the Lord let me fall so hard that I finally recognized my desperate need for rescue. I still remember the moment my mess collided with God’s grace. It was at my rock bottom, when I felt empty, ashamed, and out of answers. Yet that’s exactly where the Lord met me—full of love, mercy, and compassion. That moment changed everything. It was the first time I experienced the Lord personally. I came to Him with nothing to offer, and He began to walk me out of darkness and into His light.

There are so many people who suffer silently, who fight battles no one sees. I know that feeling well—I lived it. But there is hope in our darkest hour. I found my hope in Christ—right there, in the place I thought disqualified me from ever being close to God. That’s where I experienced Him personally for the very first time.

Our brokenness is not something God uses to shame us. It’s not a sign of failure or proof that we’re beyond repair. In fact, it’s the very place where God meets us with His grace. Brokenness exposes our need, and instead of turning us away, God invites us closer. It becomes an open door—an invitation to healing, restoration, and transformation.

When we finally stop pretending we’re fine, when we stop trying to hold everything together on our own, that’s when His grace rushes in. God doesn’t wait for us to be strong. He doesn’t wait for us to be polished, confident, or spiritually “qualified.” He meets us in the cracks. He fills the places we can’t fix. He rebuilds what life has shattered.

That’s the power of the Gospel. It doesn’t just offer forgiveness—it offers new life. It gives strength in the very places we feel weakest. It brings light into the places we thought were too dark to ever be redeemed. It breathes hope into situations that feel hopeless. This is why our brokenness isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of God’s work in us.

This is the beauty of Christmas to me: that Jesus came for the broken, the messy, the weary—the ones who know they cannot save themselves. He stepped into our darkness so we wouldn’t have to stay there.

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.” — Luke 2:10–11