Season of Sadness

Season of Sadness

Nikki's First Real Christmas

Nikki decided that Christmas was meaningless. And for three years she refused to celebrate it. It was just another day. She could not feel the excitement and joy of Christmas that caused her friends and coworkers to beam like the rising sun. All she felt was sadness and loneliness. She became frustrated seeing the crowds of people and long lines scrambling to finish their holiday shopping. As the holiday approached Nikki sank deeper and deeper into depression. She had no appetite for the smorgasbord of meals in the office. Everyone in the office knew she was annoyed by the Christmas spirit that buzzed throughout the office like a bumble bee. She expressed her nausea by all the laughter and cheerfulness. She felt no one understood her pain, nor did they consider her feelings. The pain was cutting deep into her soul as if she had been stabbed with a butcher’s knife. Although she had counseling session with the company’s Employee Assistance Program, there had been little progress. Nikki still grieved during the holiday season. She traveled to Los Angeles last year to visit relatives, but it was a horrible experience. She cried constantly during the three-day visit. Her uncle Troy and aunt Lessie tried to explain to Nikki that her mother was a Christian and was in heaven now and in a better place.
“How can you say that she’s in a better place than being with me?” she sobbed.

Nothing they said soothed the piercing pain in Nikki’s heart. Her mother’s death was an open wound that would not heal. Every time she saw a mother and daughter together she cried.

Nikki had no idea that this would be her first real Christmas. The chains that held her captive for five years after her mother’s death would be broken. Nikki’s grief centered on her feelings of guilt during her mother’s illness. She was unable to spend as much time with her during her chemo treatments and doctor visits. She barely made it in time to be with her before she passed away on December 26th at 12:15 a.m.

Nikki’s coworker, Samanthea invited her to Jesus’ Birthday Party at her small Pentecostal church on Christmas Day. They arrived just in time to hear the praise team sing a variety of Christmas carols. As the singers sang with fervor, “Oh come let us adore him” tears flowed unrestricted down Nikki’s face. After the singing the congregation roared with jovial expressions, “Glory Hallelujah!” “Praise the Lord!” The Spirit was high as the pastor stood staring up toward the huge crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling.

“What is he staring at?” Nikki whispered to Samanthea.

“Shhh, he’s in the Spirit; probably receiving a right now word from the Lord for somebody.”
Nikki whispered with conviction, “Well, I sure hope he gets a word for me. I need help; I’m tired of feeling sad and lonely every Christ....”

Before she could complete the sentence, Pastor Ryan blurted, “Hear the Word of the Lord! Tonight is your night of freedom. You have been grieving out of guilt for too long. But you are free tonight and I want you to know everything is alright. Your mother is at rest; you did your best. Peace be unto you tonight.”

By that time, Nikki was slumped over the pew sobbing uncontrollably, and in between sobs saying, “Thank you, Lord Jesus. Forgive me for everything. Yes to your will, Lord.”
That was a birthday party that changed Nikki’s life forever. She experienced her first real Christmas, which brought restoration, joy, hope, and most of all meaning.

Perhaps your situation is different, but like Nikki you’ve decided that Christmas is just another day; that it means nothing to you. Maybe the holiday season is a painful reminder of the pain you have suffered by the loss of a loved one. If so, I understand the pain of separation. My mother transitioned from her earthly life to her heavenly home a few minutes after midnight —December 26, 2003. Yes it was a very sad Christmas that year as I sat alone in her hospice room all day on Christmas Day. Actually, it was heartbreaking the next Christmas too. But like Nikki and me you can find consolation in the Word of God by applying your faith to believe in the spirit of Christmas. *Read and meditate on the Christmas story—the fulfillment of a promise prophesied centuries before Jesus’ birth.* The spirit of Christmas is peace, hope, joy and love that come through Jesus Christ. But more importantly, will you choose to believe and receive the Gift of God. “For unto us Child is born; unto us a Son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6). By receiving the Gift of God in the Person of Jesus Christ Christmas will have meaning for you.

*Isaiah 9:7/Luke 1:32, 33; Micah 5:2/ Luke 2:4, 5, 7; Daniel 9:25/Luke 2:1,2; Isaiah 7:14/Luke 1:26, 27, 30, 31; Hosea 11:1/ Matthew 2:14, 15

Merry Christmas

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No Shortcuts

A commuter on the freeways of Houston could conclude that there is no “rush-hour” traffic JUST TRAFFIC because drivers are rushing all hours of the day and night. And Courtney is inclusive…

Her twenty-minute drive to the office is sometimes 30-40 minutes if she doesn’t leave at a certain time each morning. Well, that is the challenge for Courtney: Driving into work on Monday, late, still groggy… no caffeine; inching along bumper to bumper… with tailgaters because of a car wreck on the northbound side of the freeway not southbound. Approximate arrival time to work: 1 hour late. Courtney anticipated reaching S. Shepherd/Greenbriar exit off 59 South to take a shortcut she has taken frequently to save time. As she maneuvered into the exit lane, she heard, “Don’t take the short-cut.”

Her first inclination was to ignore it; but it was so peaceful and resolute, she chose to obey. (My sheep hear my voice…and they follow me, John 10:27)

The lesson in shortcuts began—a spiritual truth conveyed from a natural perspective:

There are no “shortcuts” on the path to purpose and destiny. The stops and turns only slow you down. When you stay on the path predestined for your life you will arrive on time if you are consistent and discipline in your preparation. Shortcuts are your personal attempts to reach your destination based on your ingenuity, intellectual reasoning, and the direction you choose to take.

Do you like to take shortcuts? Do you hate traffic jams and look for shortcuts to avoid delays? If you do, no condemnation. It's a natural part of our human nature— to take control; choose the path to take to get you where you need to be even if you’re not sure of where the shortcut will take you. I’ve seen drivers violate traffic laws because they’re in a hurry to get some place, and traffic is moving too slow. We are very impatient. It takes too long to reach our destination. However, most of the time it’s our fault because we didn’t prepare for journey, or allow ourselves ample travel time.

There are no shortcuts on the path to purpose and destiny. Be patient. Prepare for the journey and allow the Holy Spirit through God’s Word to lead and guide you. The potential for getting lost is greater when you take shortcuts particularly in unfamiliar territory. That is why you need an all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful God to order your steps.

To drive the lesson home… Courtney chose to obey by not taking her shortcut, and traveling the straight path to reach her destination.

It works! Try it! Just hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him.

The Power of a Promise

By


Queen E. F. Phillips

My friend, Marsha did everything she could to make her husband happy. But instead he became more distant and coldhearted. His glaring dark eyes pierced her soul like arrows tossed at a dartboard every time he looked at her. The verbal abuse became unbearable. His raging insults caused her pint-size self-esteem to evaporate like boiling water.


Marsha chose not to attend our last girls’ night out. She confided in me that she only felt worse after our gatherings. Seeing how happy we were in our relationships made her feel disconnected. As her devoted friends, we promised to encourage and support her. We even had the audacity to promise her things would get better, which was totally out of our control. For months, Marsha listened to our advice knowing we could not make good on our promises. Our advice offered no real solution. Her mate’s broken promises ripped her heart apart and left her drained. Unfortunately, we added to her heartbreak. Obviously, we made a promise we could not keep.


Finally, Marsha resolved that she needed to try something else. She wanted to hear what God had to say about her situation. She decided to spend some time in prayer. She wanted answers. She was desperate, even willing to face the truth no matter how painful it might be. She was ready for a life-changing encounter that her grandmother told about so many times.


She meditated on First Corinthians 13:4-8a, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”


She prayed, “What happened that caused love to fail in my marriage?”

In the stillness of the early morning hours before dawn, Marsha sensed warmth as if a blanket covered her chilled body. Tears of joy replaced her sorrow, accompanied by a symphony of peace, faith, hope, and love. An unexplainable calmness erased fear and despair as she listened attentively to the small still voice within.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)


Marsha awoke inspired to believe in the power of promise. She had heard this scripture quoted a jillion times by her mother. Marsha remembered the powerfulness of this promise, and how it transformed the mindset of her mother during times of adversity. Miraculously, it gave her strength to stand firm and believe that good wins over evil. It gave her fresh hope for a brighter future. The power of this promise provoked a level of faith that empowered her to embrace every challenge with expectancy and purpose.

Life comes with a long list of challenges— broken relationships, painful pasts, fears, depression, tragedy, and bad decisions. But may I remind you of one thing? It is difficult to carry our challenges in overstuffed backpacks depending solely on the promises of others to ease our burdens. No doubt, family and friends would love to help just as we tried to help Marsha. But none of us possess the power to revive a broken spirit, and heal a wounded heart caused by an onslaught of broken promises.


Perhaps now would be the perfect time to try an experience like my friend. It could inspire you to believe in the power of promise. Couldn’t you use the rest?

A Soaring Perspective

Alexis’ view at 30,000 feet afforded her the opportunity to see from a different perspective. As she stared out of the small window on the Boeing 737 the Word of God captured her thoughts.

Isaiah 40:22, “God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.”

After fifteen years of marriage, and years of struggle Alexis’ world came crashing down the day Jarred announced his love for Carlton.

She had always handled disturbing or shocking news with a sense of calm that amazed her three adorable children. But this…this was different. The news hit her like a bolt of lightning; knocked her to the ground and left her lifeless.

Her daily cry, “Lord, how will we get through this?”

It was impossible for her to function normally throughout the day. For weeks, every emotion converged with explosive tendencies. Her body nearly collapsed from the overload. Finally, she had to get away… solitude in the Presence of the Lord would have to be the only way she would be able to rise above this “ground zero” experience.

The advice of family and friends were futile, harsh, and didn’t reflect Christian principles. Although she was devastated by the pain of betrayal, revenge and retaliation weren’t options for her because she understood that this would require a supernatural answer that could only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.

From this vantage point clear perception, and a new perspective came. As the plane ascended to maxiumum altitude, Alexis envisioned herself acending...soaring high on the wings of an eagle. And when the plane landed, taxied to the designated gate, she knew from then on she could run and not grow weary and would walk and not faint.

Like Alexis, when we face the devastating challenges of life, we too must find solace in the solitude of His Presence. The healing process will vary with every individual and situation. However, the results yield the same —power and strength to overcome any challenge or situation.

“Have you never heard? Have you never understood?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” —Isaiah 40:28-31


PERSONAL PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you that you care enough about my challenging situations, pains, and disappointments in this life so much that you would grant me the privilege of communing with you. And so, I ask now that you would speak to me according to my need. Let us find the power and strength that we need to soar high like eagles. I want to run to you always and not grow weary in doing what is good and pleasing to you. Help me to live this life victoriously through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ so that I will not give up in spite of the challenges I face now, or even in the future. I rest in you as my Source of strength. In Jesus’ name I pray with thanksgiving. Amen.