I love this time of year. I love the music and the fudge and the shopping! I love the colors and the jingles and the cheer. But, I know that for some the holidays are not happy. For some this is a time of greater grief and separation. Holiday stress can lead to extreme sadness, addictive behaviors and isolation. As we live in this world we continually face loss and grief. Wounds can become all the more raw in the season from Thanksgiving to Christmas. When so much focus is on family and friends those we have lost seem all the more distant. The loss can seem new and fresh in the middle of merriment and celebration. The long held traditions take on new meaning when the seats at the table are not full. At Abiding Love, we are aware of the many losses that people are dealing with every day.
Grieving can come from many different losses -loss of spouse, child, friends or loss of employment, self-esteem or home. Grieving is an attack of the heart as it waits to heal or learns to go on despite the change.
Join us, next Sunday afternoon, Dec. 2, at 3:00 p.m. in the Library, as we learn about the stages of grief and are offered some practical advice for surviving the holidays. Our leaders will be George Glaser and Pat Koch. The expression of our salvation is often joy, but it is also solemn and sometimes convicting. Loss touches everyone – I
pray that this season you may know the presence of God in your pain, and that your church family may be allowed to respond to your need.
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