PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Christmas is a wonderful, joyful day when memories are made.
As special as Christmas is though, for some, it is a day of sadness.
For our family, it will be a bittersweet, since my grandmother won’t be here with us.
But God, in all His mercy, designed us to have memories.
And what an amazing gift that is, especially as we remember loved ones who loved Jesus and have gone home to heaven.
In Philippians 1:3-6, Paul wrote, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
While Paul wrote this letter to living friends, I’m going to borrow it here for remembrances of loved ones who aren’t with us this Christmas.
I do thank God for memories of my grandparents.
They were amazing people who loved Jesus first, each other second, and gave so much love to our family and their friends.
And because they lived the truth of the Gospel, I am joyful.
Their legacy of faith was shared with others; it’s a good work that continues beyond their physical deaths because they believed in Jesus and are very much alive in heaven.
While I do miss them, I can’t be sad.
I know where they are because of Whose they are.
Tomorrow, they will celebrate Jesus’ birth WITH Jesus!
How incredible is that?!
That God created us with the ability to remember is truly a gift.
Through our memories, we can recognize the great blessings of our lives.
We can see the work of God accomplished through past situations and the people He put in our lives.
And if we are missing loved ones, those memories are a gift…
To remember the joy of loving them, and the joy of being loved by them, and knowing that love lives on…
That we can remember it is priceless.
Today, as you pray, thank God for memories.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you find joy and peace in your memories if you are struggling this Christmas.
And pray for those who are creating new memories without loved ones, and and ask God to comfort them.
