Grief Through the Holidays

   Holidays are a bastion for traditions and returning to places of fond memories. As we move into the Christmas season it is important for us to be aware that for some it may not be “the most wonderful time of the year.” Some of our friends and family may be experiencing loss, change, or unexpected happenings that bring an element of grief and sadness that could dampen their holiday spirit. If we rightly remember that the first Christmas everything was not hallmark, holly, and tinsel. Jesus came into the world in a very human way. (Luke 2:1-5 TPT)
    The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 65 miles. It is almost unimaginable to think of traveling that far, either by foot or donkey, at full pregnancy. In addition to the obvious physical discomfort, at this particular point in history as well, the people of Judea were under extreme political oppression. They had no choice but to travel, even under these difficult circumstances. None of us can imagine riding a donkey at this stage of pregnancy. I’m certain Mary, as a very young mother, had a longing to be among family for the birth of her first-born Son. However, it was not to be this way.
    Oftentimes the most difficult seasons to traverse are the unexpected ones. We had planned for things to be a certain way and it just turned out differently. We can experience periods of grief for these losses and unforeseen changes. It is important to be gentle with ourselves and others who are moving through times like these. We can experience sorrow where there should have been celebration. For Mary and Joseph, there was some of this present as well. They had been chosen to carry the Promise of God, and yet times were hard; there was much brutality surrounding them and now they had to relocate as Mary approached full-term.
     Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey was just the beginning of their challenges. (Luke 2:6-7 TPT)
   They had survived the treacherous journey only to face more challenges upon their arrival.  There was no place for them. Giving birth to the Son of God didn’t guarantee ease. It didn’t promise the absence of pain and rejection. There was no room for them.
    We love to return to the comfortable and familiar, especially during the holidays. Change, either planned or not, can disrupt this. But what happens next is a great revelation for all of us! (Luke 2:8-9 TPT)
    Many scholars believe that these were no ordinary shepherds. They were the shepherds who meticulously cared for the new-born lambs who were to be protected from injury and defilement to remain unblemished for the sacrifices. These shepherds had served a sacrificial system that could not produce a permanent righteousness yet they anticipated the One Who would. They were serving a type of what was to come. They had long looked for and waited anticipatively for the Messiah. (Micah 5:2 NKJV)
    They had waited for millennia, faithfully fulfilling their duties. It is interesting to notice the timing of God’s announcement. They were shepherding in the night…working through the night. This is something we see throughout time, God often visits us when it seems darkest and provides a rescue! (Acts 16:25-26 The Message)
    This is just one of many examples of a midnight breakthrough! It can be a difficult thing to continue devotedly when things are dark and hard. Singing praise in the prison must have felt paradoxical…yet as they praised rescue came. 
    God shows up in the darkness; He shows up in the dirt of our day! Emmanuel, God with us, didn’t come to a pristine birthing room. He came, not even in the ordinary way of that day, but in a way that was a sign to those shepherds! (Luke 2:12 TPT)
     This was the One they had waited for! They understood the symbolism and the Answer to the Promise! This announcement broke open the heavens! (Luke 2:13-14 TPT)
   God lit up the darkness of that Bethlehem night! He will also light up the darkness of our weary souls. He comes close to the broken-hearted and this is why He came, especially in the way that He did! It’s easy for us to lose sight of how difficult it was for Mary and Joseph to bring Jesus into the world, their world. Not only the stigma and shame they would have faced, but also the discouragement they must have encountered in how and where Jesus was born.  And yet, the Promise was fulfilled. God had come to live with men, right in the dust of our lives. (Psalm 34:18-20a TPT; Isaiah 9:2 TPT)
   This Christmas, let’s remember that first Christmas and the nearness of God!! May His love and nearness bring you so much joy and peace this season. Merry Christmas and much love from Mavis and all of us at WILD!