The Pain of Love

There’s something about the joy of the holidays that makes the sorrow of loss even greater.  For many families the holidays are different this year, as there is an empty chair at the table.  Some of the loved ones we celebrated with last year aren’t here this year, and we know that this might be the last year with loved ones still here. 

The first holiday after the death of a loved one is hard, but the next ones don’t get any easier.  The truth is we never know how many more holiday seasons we have, how many more meals we get to share, or how many more times we get to hear them tell that funny story.  The things that make the holidays so good with family are the same things that will make them hard when loved ones are gone.   

So what do we do? We can stay busy, keep going, work harder.  All of those things have some merit to them. But there are some losses you will never get over, and that’s okay.  If we live long enough, we will all experience the empty spot at the table. 

How do we move forward when there is an empty chair during the holidays? Thankfully scripture promises that Christ will never leave us.  Pray that the presence of Christ will be greater than the feeling of loss.  Loved ones leave us, and someday we will leave our loved ones behind.  But even when we leave this earth, to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. Pray this season for those dealing with loss that the presence of Christ would be felt. The chair might be empty at the table this year, but praise God the tomb of Christ is empty too.