For many, the holidays are difficult times. This week we look at ways to handle grief and loneliness during the holidays.
Christmas isn’t a joyful season for everybody. Grief—whether from loss, loneliness or both—crescendos around this time of year for many, and the deep, emotional pain can seem like almost too much to bear.
Isaiah 53:4 states, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”
Jesus carries as much of the burden as we let Him. But in addition to falling into our Savior’s loving arms, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association offers suggestions to ease your personal Christmas blues.
The first suggestion, Be kind to yourself.
Billy Graham likens the death of a loved one to major surgery. But that can also be true regarding the death of a relationship, such as a divorce. Healing from any medical operation takes time, and so does finding a new way of life after losing someone close. Leave the decorations in the attic this year if you need to.
Find another family member to host Christmas dinner. Most importantly, perhaps, allow yourself to cry—or even scream—out to God as you process. David did in Psalm 61:2. Jesus wept when his friend Lazarus died (see John 11:1-44).
Your tears aren’t a sign of faithlessness. They’re a natural and necessary response to your loss. Let God heal you. As we learn in Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.“