Traie Odom
Dec 22, 2025
By someone who’s been there…
The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for many people, they are the hardest. I know, because I’ve lived on both sides of that reality. Before Christ saved me, the holidays were a painful reminder of everything I had lost…family, trust, freedom, dignity. I remember sitting in a prison cell on Christmas Morning knowing that my addiction had put me there and also burned every bridge I ever had.
And today, as I minister to others who are walking the same road of addiction and struggle, I see that same look I once had fall across their faces when the holiday season approaches. The lights go up, families gather, tables are full, and yet there is a loneliness in many hearts that cannot be masked by decorations and traditions.
So how do we minister to the hurting…those who are less fortunate, struggling financially, or still enslaved to addiction during this season? Let me share what I’ve learned, not from a textbook, but from the streets, the prison cells, and the church where grace found me.
See them the way Jesus sees them.
Before we do anything, we must see people the way Jesus does.In Matthew 9:36, it says:“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”Jesus didn’t see inconvenience, He didn’t see criminals, He didn’t see addicts…He saw people who were hurting and in need of a shepherd.During the holidays, we need that same vision. When I was at my lowest, people looked at me and saw an addict. A failure. A criminal. But Jesus saw a soul worth dying for. Ministering to the broken begins with compassion…not pity. Compassion gets close to a person. Compassion listens to a person. Compassion remembers that people are not defined by the worst chapter of their story. Only God has the right to define anyone!
Don’t assume their needs…ask them.
One of the biggest mistakes we make during the holidays is assuming what people need.A meal is great, a gift card is kind, a blanket is thoughtful…but sometimes the deepest need is not physical…it’s relational.Proverbs 20:5 says:“The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”There were times when I needed food, yes…but more than that, I needed someone to sit with me, to listen, to just treat me like a human being again.When we ask questions like…“How can I help you this week?”“What do you need most right now?”“Would it help if I prayed with you?”…we dignify the person rather than treating them like a project.
Serve with presence, not just presents.
During the holidays, generosity is everywhere…but presence is rare.People drop off meals and gifts and leave quickly. But the greatest gift is often time.Galatians 6:2 says:“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”It is hard to bear someone’s burden from a distance.When I was struggling, the people who changed my life were not the ones who gave me things, but the ones who walked with me. I think of people like Jeff Mann who called me weekly. Mike Simons who showed up in court. Russ Sommerville who took me to lunch when I had nothing to offer in return.If we are going to minister to the hurting during the holidays, we must be willing to be present…to show up, to sit in the mess, and to stay long enough to matter.
Offer hope, not clichés.
Someone in addiction doesn’t need to hear:“It’s going to be okay.”“It could be worse.”“Just try harder.”Those phrases may be well-intentioned, but they crush rather than comfort. The only hope strong enough to sustain the broken is the gospel.Psalm 34:18 says:“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”Not “near to the strong.”Not “near to the clean.”Near to the broken.This is why I preach Christ every week at Freeway. Because I’ve been there…and clichés didn’t save me. Programs helped. People helped. But only Jesus healed my heart and set me free.The holidays can reopen old wounds…that’s why we must offer real hope.Not optimism…not willpower…but Jesus.
Remember where you came from.
One of the greatest motivations for ministry is memory.I remember being cold, hungry, and alone on Christmas. I remember the shame of knowing I had disappointed everyone who loved me. I remember the chains of addiction that I could not break.And I remember the moment God intervened.The moment light broke into darkness…the moment grace found me…the moment Christ lifted me up from the pit I dug with my own hands.Psalm 40:2 describes my testimony:“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock.”That is why I cannot ignore those who are hurting during the holidays.I’ve been the man no one wanted at their table…I’ve been the addict people crossed the street to avoid…I’ve been the broken person everyone had given up on.And now, by the grace of God, I get to minister to people who feel what I once felt and fear what I once feared.
Point them to lasting hope.
The holidays end…the decorations come down…the leftovers are gone.But the hope of Christ remains.Jesus came for the broken, Jesus died for the sinner, Jesus rose for the addict, Jesus lives for the hopeless.And because of Him: a person's past does not define them, a person’s sin does not disqualify them, a person’s addiction does not have to have the final word.The holidays may be painful, but they do not have to be hopeless.Christmas proves one thing beyond all doubt: God steps into dark places.He did it in Bethlehem.He did it at Calvary.He did it in my life.And He can do it again.
So this Christmas, may we look for the hurting…sit with the lonely…feed the hungry…walk with the struggling…and speak the name of the only One who truly saves.Because I was once broken and bound, but Jesus came near and if He could reach someone like me…He can reach anyone. That is the hope I carry and that is the hope I offer.