A Christmas prayer

You who are lonely: He loves you.

You who are afraid: He loves you.

You who are sad: He loves you.

You who feel like you're not enough: You are more than enough -- He loves you.

You who are running low on hope: He loves you.

You who are worried and anxious: Accept his peace -- He loves you.

You who feel broken: He makes things whole -- He loves you.

You who are depressed: He loves you.

You who feel unworthy: He loves you.

You who feel unwanted: He loves you.

You who can't forgive yourself: He forgives you -- He loves you.

You who can't forgive someone else: He loves you.

You who feel lost: He is finding you -- He loves you.

You who are hurting: He loves you.

You who have questions: He loves you.

You who feel unsure: He loves you.

You who don't know if God exists: He loves you.

You who have messed up: He loves you.

You who are ashamed: Look into his eyes -- He loves you.

You who feel unlovable: He loves you.

You who feel abandoned: He loves you.

You who feel like pieces that want to be whole: Give him the pieces -- He loves you.

You who have choices to make: Let his Spirit guide you -- He loves you.

You who feel disappointed or disillusioned: He doesn't disappoint -- He loves you.

You who are not at peace: He loves you.

You who feel far from God: He is right here, within and all around you -- He loves you.

You who have never felt God: He is deeper than feelings -- He loves you.

You who feel like an outcast: He was friends with the people who, by others' standards, didn't belong -- He loves you.

You who are poor: He loves you.

You who feel chained: He is freedom -- He loves you.

You in the valley of the shadow of death: He loves you.

You on the mountain: He loves you.

You who feel like there is something "wrong" with you: He loves you.

You who have ever wondered if God loves you: He loves you.

You who have ever wondered if you're wanted: He made you and he wants you -- He loves you.

You who have ever wondered if you're necessary: He needs you to love his people -- He loves you.

You who just want to be loved: He loves you.

God -- Love himself -- is coming as a little baby to meet you where you are, to draw near to you, to help you understand him and open up to his love for you. He is becoming one of us to show you that you can trust him, to show you that everything opposed to love is not the truth, to show you how passionately he's always loved you in every way you've ever wanted to be loved. Emmanuel, God is with us.

Mia Pohlman is a Perryville, Mo., native studying at Truman State University. She loves performing, God and the color purple -- not necessarily in that order.