Facing The Holidays~Part Two

Continued from last week's post...

Each reader has his own story to tell. For some this is your first holiday season since being falsely accused, and you’re probably in the same frame of mind as were we. Life remains forever altered, but it does go on. We all grieve. We all must, yet each handles grief in his own way and time. If you need to shed tears, do. We did, and in doing so gave our boys the liberty to hurt and cry as well. What a release! What a gift!

I believe God grieved that very first Christmas two millenniums ago. He knew His Son faced rejection, ridicule, false accusations, and death. For the first time I empathized with Jesus and understood how greatly He felt our pain. 

If you’re of the Jewish faith, your celebration centers on a miracle as well. The Maccabees fought against a wicked tyrannical king. They won, reclaiming Jerusalem. The Temple needed cleansing. There they witnessed the miracle of one day’s oil supply lasting eight. Hanukkah—a wonderful reminder of hope amongst impossible hardships!

Miracles exist, bringing with them the promise of hope and peace. Looking toward your holiday may bring emotions you never associated with it before. That’s okay. Remember—the ones who lived through those holy days went through the same feelings you have now. They grieved yet survived to tell their stories. So have many others! So will you!

(originally published November 1999)