As the month of December rolled in, a Whatsapp forward read, “Hello December, please be
a good month and bring smiles to me, my family and friends”. Despite what the forward may say,
Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. The advent of the special month
of December brought with it the disheartening news of the passing away of a family friend who had
given up her battle against cancer. To hear of two more friends with the same diagnosis added to the
heartache. We all love Christmas and the cheer it brings with it-carols, shopping, lights, decorations,
parties. Yet to those who’ve just lost a loved one or who have just been diagnosed with a deadly disease,
the thought of celebrations can be unbearably difficult. For them, the “most wonderful time of the
year” can actually feel incredibly painful and lonely.
I still remember the Christmas of 2010, when we had just lost my brother a few months earlier.
We wished we could just 'cancel’ Christmas. It was a time to be with family, and the enormous gap
left by the death of my brother was intensified. The loss and the grief magnified. Christmas couldn’t be
the same as it was because our family was not the same – not complete. We packed off to Saudi Arabia
where my dad worked to spend the winter holidays hoping that navigating the rough terrain would be
easier if we could just ‘hide’ ourselves.We forwent the tradition of buying new clothes for Christmas
but will be grateful to our thoughtful friend who bought clothes for us all that year. Our church family
at Saudi gave us all the love they could possibly give, making sure we were comfortable and taken care
of, especially on Christmas day.
It is quite natural for us to be preoccupied with programs and celebrations but this year, amidst
all that, let us make sure to be a blessing to those going through a difficult time. Your support could
mean a lot during their most emotionally trying time.
To those of you going through a hard time with a looming shadow over the Christmas season,
with a yearning for what might have been, take heart! The only way we are made stronger is when we
give our pain to Jesus. A silent prayer with a heart full of gratitude to the One who became man to save
you and me is a celebration in itself! My circumstances don’t have to give me a reason to rejoice but
knowing that my Lord’s birth has given you and me a new life has to! All of the superficial things that
accompany the season-Santa, parties, lights, decorations-they can leave you all the more empty if you
miss out on the Reason for the season. The real joy comes from knowing this Savior.
