Holes

This is a glass piece I created several years ago to celebrate the birth of twin boys. What a joy! The birth of two children! In this season of joy in our Savior's birth, we are surrounded by expectations of joy. We should be happy!

And I am... but...

I am realizing more and more as I grow older that everyone has holes in their happiness. We have our granddaughter's loss to face this Christmas. A congregation member has her deceased daughter's birthday to live through on Christmas Eve. A friend is passing the fifth anniversary of his son's death. Both my mother and my mother-in-law have to go through the holidays for the first time without one of their sisters. An aunt is marking the first Christmas without her husband.

The holes are myriad, gaping, painful.

What do I say to my granddaughter's parents? "Merry Christmas"? How can they be "merry" without their should-be-three-year-old?  How can the holidays be "happy" when there is so much pain and grief? So many holes? What do we do?

We turn to the One who makes us whole. In this world, there will always be holes, but in the next, we Christians are promised wholeness.  And even better, holiness!

This is not a glib statement from sincere Christians! We know the pain of loss here. We feel it, too. But we keep our eyes on the promises of our Good and Almighty God. He promises that there will be no more tears. He promises that He works all things, yes, ALL things, for the good of those who love Him.

And we trust Him. We trust that He will wholly fill the holes of our grief with His holy presence.