To the Grieving this Christmas 2019

Updated: May 28, 2020

To those of you who have lost a loved one this year or years prior, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. I would also like to say that I'm proud of you for making it through this year. I'm proud of you for learning how to adapt to this weird new normal you've been thrust into. I'm proud of you for trying to adapt the only ways you know how. Keep trying, keep on moving forward in life. Celebrate your little victories along the way.

I encourage you to carry on a tradition that you enjoyed with your loved one or something they loved to do. I enjoy baking around the holidays remembering all the times I baked with my mom or enjoyed acting like I helped by putting flour all over my face. I know it's hard to move forward in life when it feels as though everyone else appears merrier than you while you're wishing this season would rapidly pass by.

This will be the 5th Christmas without my mom and I'm just now trying to make the best of this season while trying to create new memories. This is quite difficult to do when you're missing someone you can't call or write. Grief is such a strange thing and the holidays add another element to it. Grief and Christmas are inevitable in this life but we must remember the reason why we celebrate it. Yes, Christmas is to be spent with family and those we love, BUT it is to be celebrated because Jesus was born. Our Savior was born.

All who accept the precious gift of salvation live in eternity with HIM. No matter the sadness you are feeling I want you to hold onto the hope we have in Jesus. If you're saved and you're loved one as well, you'll be reunited in heaven. We will all be united with our Lord living in heaven spending eternity worshipping Him. To think that God gave His one and only Son for the sole purpose to be our salvation. This world is filled with hurt and has been tainted with sin since the fall which is why we need a Savior. Thanks to Jesus our sins are forgiven and we are reunited with our Father. We have victory in the One who conquered death. Because of this victory we no longer need to fear it, because though our flesh dies our spirit lives eternally.

When you feel sadness this season I pray that you hold onto the hope we have in Christ. I also pray that you will feel God's love overflow within your life and that you allow Him to hold you in His arms during your hurt. I know grief is confusing and comes with so many emotions that come and go, but I hope you rely on our Lord who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow into eternity. Life doesn’t quite makes sense and we don't have all the answers, but the one who is all knowing is by our side through this crazy life.

If you have no yet accepted the most precious gift of salvation, I want to invite you to do so. If you don't know how to accept it let me guide you through it. You must admit that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and believe in your heart that He died and rose for your sins. Admit that you are a sinner and need forgiveness of your sins and ask Jesus to come in your life and guide you on the way you should go.

Merry Christmas to you.

Below is a link with more info that I find helpful for accepting the gift of salvation.

(This is link is not associated with Enduring By Grace Ministries, but it may be a helpful resource for the reader)

https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?gclid=CjwKCAiAi4fwBRBxEiwAEO8_HgVgsZEvMUOBfLdqNOSkPCg_NxzZIo8ZLCm1OZEtMwEAsneuCATdEBoCducQAvD_BwE