While storefronts gleam with festive lights and carols fill the air, many hearts hold shadows of grief that seem at odds with the season's expected joy. If you're one of those people for whom Christmas brings a complex mixture of celebration and sorrow, you're not alone—and more importantly, you're not forgotten.

There's a part of the Christmas story that rarely makes it into holiday pageants or greeting cards. It's found in Matthew's Gospel, where the joy of Jesus' birth is followed immediately by an account of unspeakable tragedy—Herod's massacre of Bethlehem's children. This darker thread in the Christmas narrative might seem out of place in our usual holiday celebrations, but its inclusion carries profound significance for those experiencing grief during the season of joy…