Christmas blues

For years I have heard about the large number of people who struggle with feeling blue and depressed during the Christmas holidays. I never understood how anyone could feel sad during such a joyous time...until now. Losing my father a couple of months ago and some other things that have been going on seems to have taken a lot of the joy out of this time of the year. For the first time in my nearly 60 years I am struggling to enjoy this season. Now that we are only one day away from Christmas I am happy that some of the joy is starting to return.

My wife and I attended a Christmas program at one of the churches I serve yesterday, and it was very well done. Two years ago this was a church that was struggling, and yesterday the sanctuary was packed. The program was uplifting and told the story of Christmas in a powerful way.

After church my brothers and sisters got together for Christmas at Dad's old house. He left the house to our youngest sister, and she invited all of us there for Christmas dinner. Even though Dad couldn't be there it was good to have our family together in the house we grew up in. Our daughter and her family surprised us by showing up as well. We had no idea they were coming, and they were as excited about surprising us as we were about them being there.

My wife has to work today, and then we will spend a quiet Christmas Eve together. Tomorrow we will drive down to our daughter's house about two hours away and spend the afternoon with them. Our grandkids will show us all the gifts they received, and I'm sure I'll have to learn some new video games. It should be a fun time, and a noisy one as well! Our son and his family are entertaining his in-laws this Christmas season and won't be able to come home. We'll talk on the phone and wish one another a merry Christmas.

This will be the first time since our children were born that no one has been in our house for Christmas day. Since our daughter has three children and two foster children it just made sense for my wife and I to go there for the holiday than for them to have to get five children ready for travel. We insisted that we would go to their house, but holiday traditions are still hard to give up.

Holiday traditions and circumstances change. Family members pass away leaving huge holes in our lives. But, it's all part of life, and we have to learn to adjust to the changes that occur. Fortunately, the one thing that does not change is Jesus Christ and His love for us. That is why we celebrate His birth. His coming brings the only firm foundation in our lives that will never change and is capable of supporting us in all the changes that come into our lives. I woke up this morning praising Him and thanking Him for His steadfast love and presence in my life. It is my prayer for each of my readers that no matter what you may be facing in your life or in the year to come that you remember that God will never leave you nor forsake you and that His love for you is unconditional. Let each of us praise Him for that today.