For many, Christmas 2020 looks different—very different. Empty chairs and silent stares are stark reminders that there is no going back to the way things were. The lull of pain hovers over the atmosphere like a thick fog, while the mist of tears infuses the air. You try to reconcile your scattered thoughts, but you cannot make sense of the surrounding madness. The sadness is indescribable. At times, it feels insurmountable. Grief swaddles you daily, and sometimes it holds you so tight that you can barely breathe. Well-intentioned people try to comfort you with their platitudes and consolations, but they offer no reprieve from your despair. You can still hear the dull echoes of faded laughter ricocheting against empty corridors and the ghostly decrescendo conversations that linger behind the walls. Phantom memories haunt each voided space, and there seems to be no hope in the midst of the storm.
The year 2020 brought the type of change that no one asked for or could even imagine. Instead of yielding 20/20 vision, the year ushered in unfathomable despair. For many, the loss due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic is unparalleled. But as tragic as these events have been, you must remain expectant that the morning will dispel your mourning and usher in hope, peace, and joy.
A Message of Hope
The message of hope is a tale as old as time, and it was written centuries ago. Over 2000 years ago, a young woman—a young girl, by today’s standards—gave birth to a baby boy. She raised, nurtured, and loved him. However, despite the prophetic pronouncements of his death, nothing could have prepared her for the pain she must have felt when, thirty-plus years later, he was crucified and slaughtered before her very eyes. Even though she knew that he was destined to die, that knowledge did not soothe her pain. He was her son, and coming from a traditional Jewish family, the fact that he was her firstborn compounded the devastation. But the good news is that her son, Jesus, did not die in vain. He died so that we could have everlasting life and eternal hope.
Revelation 21:4
Jesus’s death did not just provide hope for the afterlife; it also offered comfort for the present day. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (New International Bible, 1978/2011). According to the text, there will come a time when the tears that we shed will be no more. Until then, we can have hope that while weeping may tarry for the night, joy will come in the morning. Ultimately, the dawn will break and the fog will clear.
Take heart! As hard as it may be and as elusive as it may seem, hold on to hope. Brighter days will come. Your hearts will beat with joy again. David, in one of his darkest moments, said, “I’d had fainted had I not believe to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13–14, King James Bible, 1769/2017). With that, we should know that if we do not faint, brighter days will come and every storm will eventually clear.
Final Thoughts
It will get better. And at the risk of sounding cliché, I have to say that it will take time. Some days will be better than others. There will be days when you think that you are completely healed, and then there will be days when you feel as if you have started from ground zero. That’s okay. It’s a part of the journey. Also, remember, your journey is your own. It does not have to mirror anyone else’s experience.
Finally, if you need help, please do not be afraid to seek counsel. Prayers are wonderful, and they are transformative. However, there are times when professional counseling and medication, prescribed by a licensed professional, are necessary to help you navigate your journey and to find hope in the midst of the storm.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
(Matthew 5:4, New International Bible, 1978/2011)
Tune In: Apple Podcast | Spreaker | Spotify
Similar Post
Biblical References
- King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)
- New International Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com (Original work published 1978)