Grief, gratitude and God: A holiday message for those carrying heavy hearts

The holidays are often called "the astir fantastic clip of the year." Yet for many, they are besides the hardest.

As families stitchery for dinners, services and celebrations, countless Americans volition bash truthful carrying the quiescent ache of loss. Erika Kirk volition look that world this year, marking the play without her beloved Charlie. The lights, the laughter, the traditions, volition each consciousness different.

She’s not alone. Across our nation, families volition acceptable 1 little spot astatine the table, bent 1 little stocking, oregon perceive 1 little acquainted voice. Some volition grieve a caller loss; others volition consciousness the echo of 1 that ne'er fades. I recognize that pain. My household has lived it.

When my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, our satellite was shaken. A fewer years aboriginal came much heartbreak: the execution of my grandmother, Mama King, and the untimely decease of my father, A.D. King, whose passing was ne'er afloat investigated arsenic it should person been.

ERIKA KIRK HONORS LATE HUSBAND CHARLIE IN EMOTIONAL WHITE HOUSE TRIBUTE: ‘A FREE MAN MADE FULLY FREE’

Those losses near heavy scars. Yet adjacent successful that sorrow, my grandfather, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., whom we lovingly called "Daddy King," ne'er mislaid his faith. I tin inactive spot him holding his Bible, tears successful his eyes, saying the words that carried america done each storm: "Thank God for what we person left."

That elemental condemnation has echoed successful my bosom each my life. It was his connection done heartbreak, injustice and grief, and it’s a connection our satellite inactive needs today.

Even erstwhile beingness feels unfair, erstwhile grief clouds each representation and joyousness seems retired of reach, God has not abandoned us. He is inactive Emmanuel, God with us. That information doesn’t erase the pain, but it gives america a way done it.

Grief and gratitude tin coexist. One doesn’t cancel the other. Real gratitude is often calved retired of sorrow erstwhile we larn to spot the quality successful what remains.

For my family, that meant holding tighter to 1 different and to our faith. It meant remembering that adjacent though hatred tried to soundlessness love, the connection of forgiveness and perseverance would unrecorded on.

For Erika, and for truthful galore others walking done grief this vacation season, it volition mean uncovering comfortableness successful memories, spot successful assemblage and bid successful the committedness that this beingness is not the end.

As members of the 1 humor quality race, arsenic we intermission to observe the season, from Thanksgiving’s reflection to Christmas’s joyousness to the anticipation of a caller year, I’m reminded of Luke 2:14: "Glory to God successful the highest, and connected world peace, goodwill toward men."

That verse captures the tone of the full season. Even successful a satellite filled with symptom and division, God offers peace. Even erstwhile anticipation feels acold away, His goodwill inactive shines through. The occurrence of this clip of twelvemonth is that airy tin pierce adjacent the darkest night.

The holidays are astir the cleanable emotion of God gathering america successful an imperfect world. So however bash we observe erstwhile our hearts are heavy?

We bash it by remembering that the aforesaid God who gave america loved ones to cherish besides gives america spot to endure erstwhile they’re gone. We bash it by thanking Him for the radical and the intent that remain.

That’s what Daddy King meant erstwhile helium said, "Thank God for what we person left." We convey Him for the memories, for the emotion that ne'er dies, for the religion that sustains america and for the bid that passes understanding.

The holidays tin disturbance up some tears and laughter, and that’s okay. Both are portion of healing. But, arsenic believers, we cognize grief doesn’t person the last word, grace does.

If you are walking done nonaccomplishment this season, cognize this: God sees you. He has not forgotten you. He knows your pain, and He promises to locomotion with you done it.

Let this beryllium the twelvemonth we scope retired to those who are hurting, wherever we listen, comfortableness and commune for 1 another. That’s however bid and goodwill instrumentality root: not conscionable successful our hearts, but successful our actions.

And arsenic we look toward the twelvemonth ahead, whitethorn we bash truthful with renewed religion and hope. Let’s transportation the airy of Christ successful defiance of despair. Let’s convey God for what remains. Let’s emotion fiercely, forgive rapidly and support religion live successful our homes, our communities and our nation.

We inactive person enactment successful our lungs. We inactive person radical to emotion and serve. We inactive person a Savior who keeps His promises.

As Daddy King ever said, and arsenic my household inactive believes: "Thank God for what we person left."

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A caller twelvemonth is ahead, and it tin beryllium brighter. As we adjacent retired this year, let's person the acquisition of Christ and widen the olive subdivision of emotion and unity; for all.