Maybe I am lonely, but does that mean I'm alone?

Does that mean I'm cut off?

Does that mean I'm, I have less than others who have busy buzzing families decorating Christmas trees?

No, there's a richness in what he's provided in my own life.

It can be a battle to get there, and I do think that we're not meant to live

these isolated lives, and that includes the holidays.

Lydia Brownback is an author and Bible teacher and serves as director of women's Bible resources

at Crossway, and her books include The Flourished Bible Study series and Finding God in My Loneliness.

Lydia, thanks for joining me again on the Crossway podcast.

It's great to be back with you, Matt.

So Christmas is just around the corner, and for many, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

But for others, the Christmas season can bring challenges sometimes, especially for those who

feel the pangs of loneliness and isolation at Christmastime. And you actually open your book,

Finding God in My Loneliness, with a story of talking to a neighbor one day a few years back.

So I wonder if you can take us back to that moment and then read that

passage from your book. Yeah, we were cleaning off our, it snowed that morning, we were cleaning

off our cars, and I asked her what she'd be doing this weekend. So, Matt, I'll read the story

here at the opening of the book. The unexpected snowfall brought the neighborhood together as we worked to

clear cars and walkways before the early December sunset. Looks like winter is here, I called over to my

friend next door. Indeed, it is, she replied, and the timing of all this snow is perfect. After

supper, we're going to make hot chocolate and decorate the Christmas tree. The kids are really

excited.

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