Christmas is the sufferers holiday.” That was a profound statement made on our Surviving The Holidays video for our Grief Share class last week. Dr. David Tripp encouraged those who had experienced the loss of a loved one in the past months not to shun, dread, or avoid this sacred holiday, but rather to embrace all it means. Christ came to end all of our suffering. His birth in a manger and death on a cross was to insure that we could gain access to our father in heaven where there would be no more tears, no more sorrows or separation from this we love...forever. He went on to say, “If there was no pain, discouragement or death, there would be no need for Christ.” But there is all of that, and he came to SAVE us.
This added a new facet to the wonder of the holiday season for me. I pray that amidst the shopping, wrapping, cooking, and partying you can catch a moment to reflect on the magnitude of what Christ came to do for the person sitting in your seat. And if this season is bittersweet for you because it reminds you of your loss, let it also remind you of your Savior.