Overcoming Christmas Downheartedness

Keep in mind, Christmas is not a blissful season for everybody. Grief, whether from the passing of a loved one, loneliness or both, crests around this time of year for many, and the deep, heart-rending pain can seem like nearly too much to bear.

Isaiah 53:4 states, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” Jesus carries as much of the burden as we let Him. But in addition to falling into our Savior’s loving arms, here are some suggestions to ease your personal Christmas melancholy or empower you to help someone else dealing with grief and loneliness: While reading one of Billy Graham’s books following the death of my first wife and later my father, I remembered how he related the death of a loved one to a major medical procedure. But that can also be true regarding the death of a relationship, say an engagement or divorce. Recuperation from any medical procedure takes time, and so does finding a new way of life after losing someone close. Leave the Christmas decorations in storage this year if you need to. Most importantly, perhaps, allow yourself to cry out to God as you process. Your tears aren't a sign of faithlessness. They are an inherent and crucial response to your bereavement. Allow God to mend you. 

Anticipate and accept the fact that Christmas will not be the same without your loved one and be sensible about your emotional wellbeing. Don’t live in fear of your emotions, but take stock of your heart. Sometimes the best way to lift your spirit is by helping someone else. As I have experienced, isolation turns your focus inward. Then again, if you know someone dealing with grief or loneliness, do your part. Offer the gift of your time. Memories linger in your loved ones’ absence. Reminisce the amusing stories. Let somebody in on them. Laugh and cry with your family members and friends as you muse over these recollections. Memories are precious gifts from God, and they are one of the few ways a loved one’s legacy lives on. As men and women of God have often proclaimed, cling to the promises of God. Especially, when you don’t feel like it. Consider John 14:18, which says: “No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm—I will come to you.”