Christmas has a way of stirring our hearts toward home.
The lights, the music, the smells from the kitchen — they all whisper of belonging.
But for those of us living between cultures, the season often carries both beauty and ache.
A Christmas That Began with a Heavy Heart
My family has experienced Christmases that were truly beautiful and others that were deeply challenging during our years living abroad. I remember one in particular that began with a heavy heart … but ended in a way that was unexpectedly beautiful.
We had just moved into a new home that was still unfinished. Boxes still needed unpacking, and things were out of order. I was recovering from a C-section after giving birth to our second child. Our little Christmas tree was broken and held up by leaning against the wall. That year, we did not have much bandwidth for anything extra.
A few days before Christmas, I snapped a picture of our two beautiful children under that little leaning tree. I posted it with the caption:
“We may not have much, but together we have it all.”
I remember sitting on our sofa pressed against a cold cinder block wall, fully aware this was not a picture-perfect holiday.
And yet, I felt the undeniable presence of Emmanuel — God with us.
The Joy of a Simple Celebration
A few days later, I carried that same little tree, still leaning and a bit bare, outside to help decorate for our church’s Christmas celebration. We gathered under a simple lona (a metal-covered outdoor space). It was not fancy, but the joy there was real and full.
My daughter and I had spent the day in the kitchen making treats to share. That night, we sang Christmas carols, read the Christmas story, broke a piñata, laughed with friends, and drank warm ponche with people we had come to deeply love.
In that moment, I remembered: This is what it is all about. The gospel of Emmanuel had changed so many of these beautiful people’s lives. I had witnessed it firsthand.
That Christmas, far from perfect by the world’s standards, has become a precious memory. Because in the midst of our simple Christmas, we experienced the joy of Emmanuel. God was truly there with us.
Wherever we find ourselves this season in joy or struggle, His light still shines. He is still with us.
Learning to Love Christmas in a New Culture
When we first arrived in Mexico, Christmas felt … incomplete. There were no pine trees for sale on every corner, no frosty windows, no chill in the air to match the songs I had grown up singing. Instead, there were fireworks, piñatas, and tamales. It all felt unfamiliar.
And yet, we learned to love it.
After six Christmases in Mexico, I will never forget our first one back in the States. People asked, “How does it feel to be home for Christmas?” I smiled and said, “It’s good.” But in my heart, I longed to be back in Mexico.
There is beauty in the way America celebrates Christmas — the glow of lights against winter’s darkness, the warmth of familiar traditions and music, and the comfort of family. Yet even amid the beauty, I felt a weight pressing in … the noise, the hurry, the commercialization, the endless motion that can so easily muffle the still, holy wonder of the One whose birth we celebrate, Jesus Christ.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 KJV
The Presence That Crosses Borders
This is the truth that steadies me wherever I am: Emmanuel — God with us.
He came, clothed in frail humanity, to dwell among us and to save us. He is not confined by language, culture, or custom. He moves quietly through every place and every heart that makes room for Him.
He is with us in the longing and in the joy.
He is with us when home feels far away, and when we return to find that home is not “home” anymore. He is with us in new traditions and in the old ones that now bear the mark of time and distance.
He is there in the laughter that bridges cultures, in the small acts of love that need no translation.
Christmas night, no matter the continent, country, city, or street … I promise you will find Him there. Whether in a remote village or a bustling city, in solitude or surrounded by many, He is there.
“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matthew 28:20b KJV
Raising Children Between Worlds
Our children are growing up between worlds, learning two languages, two cultures, two ways of celebrating. My prayer is not simply that they find belonging in either place, but that they come to know this deeper truth:
Home is not defined by geography.
Home is found in the presence of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
Whether we are singing “Noche de Paz” or “Silent Night,” Emmanuel is the same.
His presence is the gift, and His presence is not bound by borders or customs.
“For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Hebrews 13:5 KJV
God came, not to one culture or for our comfort, but to a world aching for hope and salvation.
The Song of Emmanuel
As the song by Lauren Daigle¹ so beautifully says:
“The world waits for a miracle,
The heart longs for a little bit of hope —
Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel.
A child prays for peace on earth
And she’s calling out from a sea of hurt —
Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel.”
[…]
“A baby’s cry is the sound of love,
Come down, come down, Emmanuel.
He is the song for the suffering,
He is Messiah — the Prince of Peace has come,
He has come, Emmanuel.”
[…]
“For all who wait,
For all who hunger,
For all who’ve prayed,
For all who wander —
Behold your King,
Behold Messiah — Emmanuel.”
This song is not just to remind us of our Savior’s birth; it reminds us that Emmanuel, God with us, is not confined to the pages of Scripture. His light still shines into every moment of our lives … even in the moments we struggle most.
Whether in anxiety, grief, loneliness, or uncertainty, Christ’s presence is still real, still near, still breaking through.
“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”
Psalm 145:18 KJV
Emmanuel Has Come
Let us recognize His arrival in the quiet corners of our lives, wherever we find ourselves on the map.
Emmanuel has come.
And His presence is real and enough.
TCKs for Christ: Writer
Stephanie Granger
is a missionary wife and mother of three Third Culture Kids. She and her husband began serving in Mexico shortly after their marriage, where they planted two churches and raised their growing family. Two of their children were born on the mission field. After returning to the U.S. in 2022, which was a season of growth the Grangers are preparing to return to Mexico in January of 2026. Stephanie is passionate about missions, motherhood, women’s ministry, music and sharing Christ through everyday life.
tcksforchrist.com 
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