As I write this, I know that Christmas will be very different this year. My mother’s earthly journey ended on October 13. I had traveled to Ohio for a surprise visit to the independent living facility we took her to in August and it’s as if her body and mind were saying, “Donna’s home. It’s time.” Less than 48 hours later she was with Jesus. That’s not the Christmas I expected this year, but what a great gift for her!
While my parents never decorated the house with lights, streamers or other decorations, my mother’s love language was food. She spread a feast, complete with at least three cakes and other desserts. After I moved, she never asked me what gifts I bought for our children, but rather what I would feed them. To this day, I think many of my children’s Christmas memories will revolve around food as I bake and cook throughout the season. This apple didn’t fall far from the tree. My mother started asking me about my Christmas menu a lot in the first week of December! Sometimes her insistence on knowing what I was cooking for the upcoming Christmas meal annoyed me. “In four weeks,” I would think. But this year I already miss those conversations.
Our son, our last to graduate from high school, is serving with Youth With a Mission and will be far away this Christmas. He was the one who always helped me decorate the tree and the interior of the house, and who happily put up the outdoor decorations. But Christmas will be different this year. And that’s okay. It may also be different for you. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says: There is a time for everything and a time for every activity under heaven. This season for me, as for you, is more pensive than outwardly festive. And that’s okay. Like Mary, we can hold all these things in our hearts.
Christmas may be different for me and for you, but it can still be done to remind all that God has done for us and our families. We can reflect on the joy of our salvation. We can celebrate Jesus, the One who came into the manger as a baby so long ago to seek and save the lost. His birth is still the greatest gift the world has ever received. He is ‘God with us’. We can enjoy our family and friends, enjoy the memory of those who are not with us, and enjoy conversation with those who are far away. And even though our grief may overwhelm us this Christmas, we can be happy that a Savior has been born who understands our pain and sorrow. A Savior has been born to give us comfort and peace. A Savior was born who made it possible for us to one day be with Him in heaven and be reunited with all our loved ones who declared Him Savior and Lord.
Christmas will be different. But that’s okay. A Savior has been born for us, who is Christ the Lord!
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Experience Christmas at its best.
Looking for ChristmasThrough Donna VanLiereis a thoughtful and heartfelt reflection on the origins and meaning of Christmas. As you explore the people and places in the Biblical Christmas story, you’ll discover the powerful ways this story can fill your life with celebration and purpose.
Experience renewed hope and discover how this story can bring more peace and joy to your home at Christmas and beyond!
Learn more about the book and how to buy it here.