Day 12 – December 8

Day 12 – December 8

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever. [Psalm 136:1-3 CSB]

Holidays are hard!

I came face to face with this reality as a teenager.   My family’s Christmas traditions were shaken by my mother’s illness and death.  But more than my own situation, most of my friends experienced similar pain during the holiday season.  The specifics ranged from grief, to divorce, to financial hardship, to familial dysfunction, to illness.   All the while we were comparing our own sadness and holiday challenges to the ‘perfect’ (or so it seemed) circumstances of other acquaintances and portrayals in movies and on television.

Fortunately, I also came to realize that the pain and challenges were only part of the holiday season.  New traditions evolve.  Memories of lost love ones and prior holidays are to be cherished and celebrated.

In the midst of hard holidays, we can all take solace in the psalmist’s words.  God’s faithful love endures forever!  His steadfast love endures forever!  Pick up a Bible and read all 26 verses of Psalm 136.   Let the Word soak in.

Father God, I pray that anyone reading these words and feeling even a little despair that holidays are hard, will pause and reflect on the Word that You laid out in Psalm 136.  Come alongside each of us and fill the holes in our hearts with the goodness of You.  Help us to focus on the coming birth of the baby Jesus, and ALL that Christmas truly means.  Amen.

Written by: Bev Carbert