STILL WE CELEBRATE

It was a wonderful Christmas day. It has been a wonderful Christmas season. With the additional families we are a part of this Christmas, there have been more celebrations to attend. That’s good. These gatherings have proven to be a good way for Lisa’s children and my children to get to know each other on a deeper level. I am thankful that God continues the work of bringing our families together. Any of the potential “rough areas” of our relationship, He seems to be making smooth.

One of the parties we attended on Christmas day was at my Mom’s house. It was basically my Mom, my sisters and their families and Lisa and her children, and the five of us. We had a great time and, of course, more fantastic food than we could consume in a week. We greeted each other. We exchanged some gifts. We played some games and had a great time. At one point during the day I was struck by the realization that nearly everyone there, if not everyone, had suffered through a loss, to death, of a very dear loved one. My Mom has lost all of her siblings and her husband, my Dad. My older sister’s husband has lost a wife to cancer. My younger sister has lost a daughter (18) to a heart defect. Lisa and her children have lost a husband and father, and the kids and I have lost a very dear mom and wife. Despite all of that, despite all the pain, the sadness, the fear, the questions, the loneliness we’ve experienced, we celebrated. We were able to celebrate what God has done through His Son, Jesus, entering this world.

I guess, through healing, I’ve come to believe life is for living, life is for the living. A year ago, I know I dwelt, almost continually, on what I had lost and knew I could no longer have. This year God has shown me that my life is still overflowing with blessings, I just needed to notice them and name them.

As we were “partying” on Christmas day, I could not help but think that our deceased loved ones, Julie, Phil, Dad, and Carol, were in Heaven above smiling as we celebrate with laughter and fun. This time of year must be a thrilling time in Heaven when our loved ones, who are truly now living, see us celebrating Christ’s earthly birth and know better than any of us what that birth truly means for humankind.