Christmas: the “most wonderful time of the year”.

Unless you’re grieving. Or alone. Or broken. Or lost. Or basically anything but happy and comfortable, with people who love you nearby. 

There are a number of people I love for whom Christmas time - whether this year in particular or every Christmas - is incredibly painful. It highlights the ache or the loss when everyone  else is celebrating. Spare a thought for those people as you rightly enjoy celebrating Christmas. 

Sorry this isn’t the usual merry post. Don’t get me wrong, i think Christmas *is* wonderful. The thing I’ve most enjoyed about it this year especially has been hearing the songs about Jesus sung in public, on tv and in school as well as in our home and church, as always. It seems like it’s getting harder to speak about Jesus in our culture. So to switch on the television and hear songs like ‘O Holy Night’ is pretty lush:

“Truly He taught us to love one another, 

His law is love and His gospel is peace. 

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. 

And in his name all oppression shall cease. “

That angel the first Christmas night really did bring news of great joy. Praying for those of you for whom this week is painful, that you would somehow know some of that joy despite the circumstances 🙏🏽