This time of year goes by painfully slow and incredibly fast
all at the same time. The past few years I’ve
worked during the holidays. I don’t mind because if I’m
busy, I don’t dwell on the fact that the holidays are absent of family time and
laughter; long car rides; that one relative that
always knows how to cut you down before you say grace; and the traditional
shooing of the children and recruitment of the dads to take us all out to a
movie, so all the ladies of the family can cook in peace. I miss it all.
Here is the thing about family,
you can be hurt by them and lose
them, but no matter what you’ll always go to
bat for them.
It reminds me of Jesus. He doesn’t give up on us, even when
we break his heart and spit on the blood he shed
to save us, he loves us. Family is complex. Love is even more dynamic than our
closest ties are. The love of Jesus is so
deep and wide that I can’t fathom it, but only get lost in it.
Yes, our families can be hard, but so can we. Love, it’s the
only way. It’s a cute saying that people lean on and throw about flippantly. But, it’s
harder to accept love, let alone live it out, and give it out to the people
placed in our lives. It’s our struggle as
human beings born into the curse of this
world, we are hardwired to resist, reject,
and at the same time horde love for ourselves. That is the opposite of the love
that paid the price for our sins, set us free, and
empowers us to love in return.
Our families feel like something we have to deal with at
times, but they are worth more than any pain we feel; they need love just as they are. They are God’s kiddos, just like we
are.
God, help us love them. Help us dive deep into your love,
because we need you and our families need you too. Thank you for this season,
no matter how we are feeling and dealing, this is a time that either helps us refocus or
steals everything. Give us hearts open to your love and that give love, without expectation of
receiving it from others but knowing that you will always show up. Thank you
for our loved ones and all the ways you have used them to bring us closer to
you.
- Hannah
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