I love Christmas, the lights, the music, children's laughter, all these make for a wondrous season. A theme in my own life has been that the Christmas season often brings challenges and changes for me personally. I can look back on my life and remember several occasions where life was tumultuous during the holidays. I think that it is interesting as I look back and track these changes.
In my type of ministry setting I see people everyday who are coping with how they are going to deal with the Christmas season. For many this will most likely be their last Christmas on this earth. Families are not only feeling the stress of the holiday season but on top of that they are dealing with anticipatory grief and hoping to make this Christmas special for their loved one who is dying. Patients and families continue to be my best teachers. I marvel everyday at the life lessons that I am taught by the people I serve.
Although I have never faced the changes and stress of the holidays that I am seeing in patients and families, I am dealing with my own struggles. Nevertheless they are my challenges and my questions. There may be several reasons why this time of year has brought change in my life. Perhaps I am more introspective? After all Christmas is celebrating the Advent of the Christ child, God breaking into this world bringing about the changes to fulfill the plan of redemption for us all. I am coming to understand that the chnages, the feelings, the struggles, and the questions that I have may be the very work of God fulfilling something in me. Perhaps for me winter is not the only season that changes in December.
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