During the Holidays, My Hope Comes from the Lord

Personal
Written By Trillia Newbell

It was a typical night in my home when I got the dreaded call. The kids were running around after a warm summer’s day. I was curled up on the couch chatting with my husband. All seemed to be well with the world and then the phone rang. My oldest sister was intensive care and it wasn’t looking good. By midnight she was gone. It’s one of those surreal moments in life that you wish you could forget but you know you never will. In a few days, I will gather with my remaining fun-loving sisters and mom to celebrate Thanksgiving. We will laugh a lot, you can’t get us in a room together without hearing laughter, and I imagine we will think and speak about our sister.  There is no doubt that we will also mourn that she is not with us this year.

As I was thinking about the upcoming season, when families gather and gifts are exchanged, I couldn’t help but think that I won’t be mourning alone. I imagine that this time of year—the time when so many are rejoicing—can be a time of great pain for many.

Here is my heart for you:

I am mourning with you today. I wish that the pain would simply go away. I wish that our loved ones were with us to celebrate and break bread and laugh. That is not the case for us today.  These days, like so many others, are times when I must remember Jesus. Jesus is aware of my tears, these tears that He will one day wipe away (Rev. 21:4). And even when we’ve forgotten our only Hope, He has not forgotten us.

I’m not going to tell you to muster up false praise, but I do believe the Lord will help you as you cry out to him. And if your tears are too many to cry out, remember that the Lord will keep you, He is tirelessly working on your behalf until that day you will see Him face to face. That day when you see Him, you will never experience death again and you will not need to try to worship, there will be rejoicing and praise forevermore.

My Help Comes From the Lord

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

 

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