But I don’t feel like celebrating . . .
The world is shouting, “The holidays are upon us! Time for food, fun, shopping, celebrations, and all the rest.”
But some of us are saying, “Wait! I don’t feel like celebrating. No matter how hard I try, the holidays just aren’t the same anymore.”
Maybe you have lost a family member since the holidays last year. And you just can’t imagine going through Thanksgiving and Christmas without that person. The pain is real. Your grief is heightened at special times and events.
Here are some suggestions –
Let your memories help.
Recall the joys you’ve had in the past and use them to gain strength for this year.
Plan ahead.
Decide which things were meaningful and you’d like to keep. Similarly, decide which are just too painful to continue, at least for now.
Let others help.
Rely on family members and friends to strengthen and encourage you.
Help someone else.
Try serving a meal at a shelter or shopping for a needy child. Seeing their joy will help bring yours back.
Lean on your faith.
God’s Word says, ‘Be strong and courageous . . . the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you.’
May God grant you comfort and peace this holiday season, and may his promises help restore your joy.
Written by Rev. Richard Phillips, FPC Care Coordinator
If you are struggling this holiday season, we invite you to contact one of our ministerial staff. We also invite you to join us for our Advent services each Sunday in December and for our Christmas Eve services. If joining these services in person feels too overwhelming, we live stream all of our services. They can be found both here on our website and on our YouTube channel.