I haven't felt a whole lot of Christmas cheer.....it has been a really hard month...loss has just touched the lives of so many people around us....
This week, a mother had to bury 3 of her 10 children.....suddenly and tragically killed in a car accident....the twin boys were on their way to pay for their Christmas tree....
A sweet friend is facing a long year in the treatment of an aggressive bone cancer in her son.....treatment begins this weekend....
This young man was a student of mine and an idol to my 9 year old drummer who wants to be just like Ethan...
A former member of our youth group lost her husband tragically in a car accident....she is left with a 2 year old son and a baby on the way....
My children have been deeply affected by all of this loss and grief.....
I'll find my middle son suddenly by my side....saddled up to me just needing reassurance....
My first-born....ever practical and conscientious has been asking questions like....."Is our car safe in a car accident.....How do you get cancer? Can I?"
There have been so many questions.....many centered around..."Why would God let this happen?"....."Why are there so many bad things happening?"
I don't have any perfect answers.....the truth is....grief and loss can easily touch our lives, too......we are not immune....
As I was driving the other night, I was just struck by the fact that while I don't feel like celebrating Christmas.....isn't this what Christmas is all about??
Our world is broken......it didn't start broken....God wanted it to be perfect without pain, loss.....sin....but man chose differently.....so God had to develop another plan.....His plan to fix our pain, loss, grief and brokenness from sin ended on the cross, but it started in the manger.....
In a somewhat unknown town.....born to a teenage mother......an infant child came to make a way for us to leave this broken earth and enter a perfect Heaven to live forever with a God who loves us....
It's not about how many cookies I haven't made or presents that aren't bought yet or the Christmas projects that are sitting unfinished.....it's about the hope of redemption that this baby brought.....hope that a Mom will one day be reunited with those three children and wrap her arms around them once more.......
Merry Christmas....
9 comments:
Well said! Very true...wishing your family comfort this season :)
Lina
Well said! Very true...wishing your family comfort this season :)
Lina
So true, it's refreshing to be reminded of what Christmas is really about. So sorry though to hear of all the loss that is around you. I hope your family and those who were directly affected will be able to have peace and happiness this Christmas season.
All the best,
Rachel
Amen.
So sorry to hear of all the losses.
Oh Nicole, I am so sorry for all the losses you have endured. This post just brought tears to my eyes. Grief is the most difficult of human emotions to deal with. It is so much harder too when it affects your whole family. Having several losses at once is just more than our minds can comprehend. A few years ago, we had back to back tragic losses right within my little family. It was more pain than I thought I could bear, but truly handing it over to Christ, knowing that HE came to carry this weight for us when we can't carry it anymore was the most comforting feeling I could feel at those moments, when I literally thought my heart would break and then I would just die from a broken heart. (either that, or I was crying so hard, I really thought I was going to just cry up a lung!) I have such a strong testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ, it is so wonderful though to have reminders when I feel so overwhelmed by just "worldly" stuff. I do hope you can find joy in this season in the midst of the pain you are feeling. Much love to you. -K
I cried right through this post! Each story was SO tragic. Only by God's grace will the woman with baby two on the way, get through this. I can't even imagine what she will go through, having to raise a young child, AND care for a newborn at the same time, by herself.
I just hope she has a great support system!
So sad !! i myself was in a car wreck last year two weeks before christmas...it was pretty bad and i am still recovering today ...so i can feel the pain of these storys..i just have to push myslef to feel the christmas spirit this year..and i usually go all out because it's my favorite time of year...thanks for sharing because we should all be greatful for what we have and not what we want...
Nikki,
Thanks for posting this. I, too, have had a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit. The loss of the 3 Martin kids was so hard. I've had several conversations with their mom, Marilyn, and she's one of my "mom heroes". Last weekend during the services (both the kidVenture Island variety and in "big church") I was really hit in the face that because of Christmas...because Jesus came to earth we have HOPE. HOPE that all 12 Martins will one day be together again...HOPE that Joelyn, Kyle, and Jordan are in heaven singing to Jesus RIGHT NOW! Needless to say, I was pretty emotional. That reality has also given Christmas a "different feel" for me this year. I'm more thankful, more hopeful, and more heaven focused.
My heart goes out to you and yours, prayers are lifted up. May you find peace,
Emily
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