For many, Christmas is a time of both great joy and great sorrow. The joy and the love we feel in celebrating with family and loved ones is intermingled with sadness for the loved ones we have lost... the ones who can no longer be physically or mentally present. However, they can be and usually are with us.
Yes, I can hear you say, "Yes, Connie, I know they are in our hearts." I smile at that because I know their presence is more than that.
Mom's favorite holiday was Christmas and she prepared for it all year, finding and buying just the right gift for just the right person. She radiated joy at both the giving and the receiving... especially the giving.
Mom has been gone for two years now but when I sit in the silence I can see her in her chair surrounded by friends and family, her face glowing with love and happiness. She was the essence of Christmas... experienced by all who came into her presence.
I believe there are times when the veil between heaven and earth is very thin... times when loved ones who have moved on might drop in for a visit. Christmas is one of those times. It is a time of great love and it is love which unites us all... both living and dead.
Take a few moments this day to sit in the silence, bring your loved one to mind along with a wonderful memory and invite them to come and join you. You will know of their presence. You might even see them in your mind's eye... however briefly... but you will know because you will experience the gifts of love and peace they bring with them.
May the sadness of loss be overcome with the joy of knowing the peace that loving brings!
God bless you all and Merry Christmas!
Rev. Connie
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