Grief has a way of amplifying the silence around us, especially during seasons that once overflowed with joy. For Angie, Christmastime has carried a tender ache since the passing of her mother six years ago. Her mom wasn’t just part of the celebration—she was the celebration. The cook, the storyteller, the giver, the one who made Christmas feel full.

In the early years of loss, everything felt muted. Holidays didn’t feel festive; they felt hollow. And yet, in the quietness of that grief, Angie discovered a profound truth: Christmas would not be the same, but it could still hold meaning. It could still hold beauty. It could still hold God.

By stepping into the traditions her mother created—telling the stories, baking from the old recipes, blessing strangers, reading the Christmas story aloud—Angie found that these moments kept her mother’s love alive for her children and grandchildren. Legacy became a bridge between grief and gratitude.

And it was there, in the soft spaces of remembrance, that Angie encountered the God who sees.

Genesis 16:13 tells the story of Hagar, a woman alone, misunderstood, and wandering through her own wilderness. She did not seek God out—He sought her. He found her in the barren place, looked upon her sorrow, and spoke hope into her heart. She named Him El Roi—the God who sees me.

God still sees like that.

He sees you in the holiday moments that feel too quiet.
He sees the empty chair at the table, the tradition that now feels tender, the memory that brings both tears and warmth.
He sees the ache behind the smile and the courage behind every small step forward.

Grief can make life feel blurred, but God’s gaze is steady. In every silent night, He is the God who sees—not glancing over your pain but entering it, meeting you in it, and holding you through it.

You are not unseen in your sorrow.
You are not forgotten in your longing.
You are deeply known by the One who carries both your grief and your hope.

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’”
— Genesis 16:13

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Father,
Thank You for carrying me through both my grief and my hope. Tonight, I rest in the truth that You see me—fully, gently, and with compassion. Thank You for drawing near in my sorrow and meeting me with Your presence. As I step into this holiday season, may it not be barren but fruitful, marked by Your nearness. Fix my eyes on You, the One who holds all things in Your hands and who never overlooks my pain.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE ON

1. Do I feel seen in my grief or pain tonight? Take a moment to acknowledge honestly where your heart is.

2. Am I trying to carry this sadness on my own? What might it look like to let God shoulder some of the weight?

3. What perspective might God be inviting me to embrace as I walk through grief in this season?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.