My Grown Up Christmas List

This is a heavy post. I know that Christmas is supposed to be a light hearted, fun and cheery time. For me it is, thankfully. I am so very blessed to not have any major sadness in my life. Although the negative balance in my bank account for the last 2 days seemed tragic for a moment...its so not. I have a healthy and happy family that I am very, VERY thankful for this year! My neighbor informed me last week that she has no one to celebrate Christmas with. She is feeling so very lonely with her kids and grand kids who are all living out of state. My sorority sister is missing her mother who died of cancer years ago, but misses her like crazy. My sister knows someone who has a husband dying of cancer. He has a 2 year old daughter.

This time of year can be the most wonderful time of the year for some, and for others the worst. Those of us so blessed and comfortable in life, we can so easily forget how blessed we really are.

I can remember as a child my mom would put on Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I now do the same, by the way! But one song in particular brings a flood of memories. And not good ones. My parents went through some tough times and separations when I was younger. My mom used to play Amy Grant's Christmas album and when the song  Grown Up Christmas List  would come on she would talk about hers. One year I think she even wrote out a grown up list. The pain she was feeling was so apparent, and clearly the holidays was salt on her wound. The unhappiness she felt was amplified by Christmas.  Here is a version I can listen to Grown Up Christmas List -Michael Buble. The Amy Grant version brings up too many memories for me.

In my life the hurt, loneliness, and pain is drowned out by the birth of Christ.The  Love, Grace, and Mercy Jesus gives me drowns all of this heavy stuff out. I feel the need to apologize if at anytime a Christian has treated you with judgement, hate, or hostility. It may have been me. It may have been someone you loved dearly. But that is not Jesus.  He heals all, Loves all, Forgives all.

Merry Christmas, may it be full of JESUS!