For those who are sad at Christmas

[Lamb]

Please keep in your prayers those who are sad at Christmastime whether it's seasonal related or because they have lost a loved one at this time and still grieve.

 

[Particular]

What Grieving People Wish You Knew at Christmas

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-grieving-people-wish-you-knew-at-christmas

 

[tango]

Even if people didn't lose a loved one at this time of year, for many it's their first Christmas without their usual companion. I think we've had eight funerals at our church this year, at least some of which represent someone facing their first Christmas as a widow.

 

[tango]

What Grieving People Wish You Knew at Christmas

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-grieving-people-wish-you-knew-at-christmas

That's a good article. It reminds me of what our pastor said during his address at the funeral of one of our long-standing church members, when he encouraged us to talk about our memories of him with his widow and other family. He commented how it's so easy to avoid mentioning someone because we don't want to create an awkward situation but that the family left behind want to talk about memories of them, and know that their deceased loved ones are remembered.

It's been 20+ years since my in-laws died and every once in a while we still get to hear a memory of them from someone new. By now most of the stories are things we've heard before but it's still good to share in a memory with people who knew them. And then every once in a while we hear a completely new story about them, and one or both of us comment how we can see them doing that or some such.