The holidays are upon us and can come with a slew of emotions. Most of the time those emotions are full of gratitude, joy, love and the magic that is the miracle of Christmas! Some of the time those emotions are empty from losses such as:

1. The death of a loved one- whether it’s the first holiday or 10th, the feeling of loss is always there as their absence creates a hole where they should be.
2. The brokenness of a family- knowing what was and what should be can leave a hole as the new reality is different than happier years.
3. The brokenness of what never was- this loss is a loss of plans and dreams that never came true.

At Thanksgiving I was offered dessert while I was letting my belly settle; I said I was still full. I thought of how I should approach life this way. I have a full life with many blessings and joys, and so much to be thankful for. The noise of what isn’t and what never was can be loud, but thankfully it is not the only thing my life is made up of. The Christmas holiday isn’t about the presents under the tree, nor is it about Santa. It is about the miracle of Christ coming to rescue us and sending us forth to proclaim that Good News! Despite any temporal loses, the fullness of Christ dwells in us who believe (Colossians 2, Ephesians 3) thus saving us into an eternity where death and brokenness will be no more. This Christmas let’s celebrate the joy of Christ and fully embrace His love for us! Merry Christmas!