{my graphics are free goodies for you}
A friend and I manage to find a quiet corner in the middle of a holiday celebration. We share a quick hug and then I ask about a recent loss in her life. She shrugs her shoulders then leans in to whisper a confession: “It’s supposed to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year.’ But it’s just not for me.”
I think back to the many Thanksgivings and Christmases that have felt the same in my life. My husband and I struggled with infertility for about a decade before God led us to our adopted daughter. The holidays seemed to highlight our hurt. As a counselor facilitating grief support groups and working with individual clients, I often heard similar thoughts. And even without major difficulties in our lives, we can still be overwhelmed by extra-busy schedules, family tensions or endless to-do lists.
So let’s all get honest for a minute and admit while there’s a lot to thank God for and rejoice about, we also live in a fallen, broken world. Jesus understands that because it’s the one He came to on our behalf. Once we admit we’re not “fine” then we can breathe a sigh of relief, remember we’re all in this together, and start making a plan that will help us when the holidays are hard (mine will include pie).
The host of the party gathers us around a table piled high with evidence of God’s goodness and abundance. We’re each asked to share a blessing in our lives. When it’s my friend’s turn she says, “I’m grateful God loves me even when I’m a mess.” Now that’s a truth worth celebrating. We don’t have to hold it together during the holidays this year because we serve a God who holds us close to His heart.
XOXO
Holley Gerth
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This post is part of a series based on my exclusive, limited-time only ebook, Hope for the Holidays. You’ll get it free when you order Hope Your Heart Needs: 52 Encouraging Reminders of How God Cares for You, a little devotional that’s big on encouragement and perfect for Christmas gifts. Get all the details about the free ebook here.
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You’re invited to join the “Let’s Have Coffee” link-up! Simply write a post that has the kind of encouragement you’d share with a friend over coffee (the link-up goes live at 5:30am CT every Wednesday, and you can view the Link-Up Guidelines here). Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
After you link-up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked just before yours. Thanks, friends!
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