I’ve been thinking a lot about my Nana the past couple of days, even more than usual.  This week will be our first holiday without her.  I’ve been preparing myself for it for months, but whether it was just inevitable anyway or a result of being six months pregnant and extremely emotional, I can hardly think about her without crying these last few days.  Then this morning, when I was scrolling through Spotify to find some worship music to listen to during my quiet time, I ran across the playlist I made back in April; it’s called “Nana’s Healing.”  We played it at her bedside while we prayed for her healing.  I still don’t understand why we lost her on May 5.  It didn’t make sense then, and it doesn’t make sense now.  But I trust God.  And I try to trust Him the way my Nana did—wholeheartedly, without any reservations—trusting that He will make things clearer to us in His time.  Meanwhile, we’ve got to figure out how to make this week feel like Thanksgiving, even without her presence.

I know our family isn’t the only one dealing with loss this holiday season.  Even if your loved one left this world many years ago, I know you still have a void at your family gatherings this time of year.  Maybe your family traditions don’t even take place the way they used to, because of the absence of that family member who pulled everyone together.

My heart has always gone out to those who mourn, especially at this time of year.  I’ve always loved Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I’ve always wanted everyone to be able to enjoy and celebrate the holidays fully.  I believe in the joy of being with family.  I believe in the thrill of giving generously and extravagantly.  With so much joy to be had at this time of year, it hurts to know that so many are hurting.  I don’t know how any of us, in our human strength (or lack thereof) is possibly capable of dealing with such great loss; it’s really beyond my understanding.  So I do what I always try to do when I can’t understand something.  Instead of focusing on what I don’t know, I try to focus on what I do know:

1.  I do know that Jesus promised this, God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4 NLT).

2.  I do know the psalmist spoke truth when he said, “[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” (Psalm 147:2 NLT).

3.  I do know this is true for you and me:  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18 NLT).

4.  I do know Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to help us, not just for eternity, but also here and now:  “He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted… He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come… To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair…” (Isaiah 61:1-3 NLT).

So as we enter this week, although there may be an empty chair at your family’s table – or perhaps it’s already been filled by an addition to the family who never got the honor of meeting your loved one – and although things may have changed quite a bit since your loved one passed, I hope we can capture the promise of Isaiah 61 as our own as we walk into these holidays…

We have permission to trade in our mourning for joyful blessing.

We have permission to hold a festive praise in our hearts instead of despair.  Even though we will remember and honor the ones not there, we have permission to go ahead and celebrate, to go ahead and receive comfort, to receive healing, and to receive joy.  We can receive comfort and healing today from the One who created our hearts in the first place.  If your heart is broken today, the One who made it knows how to put it back together.  And He wants to do that for you, so that you can be free to experience joy again this Thanksgiving, to experience peace again this Christmas.

I know my Nana.  She loved her family with all of her heart and more.  I know that, if Jesus lets her see what’s going on with us this week, she would want us to gather with each other, even without her, to celebrate the goodness of the Lord together.  She would want us to go on loving and living and enjoying family, even if she can’t be there with us.  Of course, we know she is enjoying the Presence of Jesus, along with her parents, her sister, and her nephew… but I can’t help but think she is still praying for us like she did when she was here.  And even beyond that, maybe in her time with Jesus, she has been able to overhear Him praying for us as well.  After all, we know that:

“…Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34 NIV).

It’s no coincidence to me that this verse follows closely behind my Nana’s favorite verse in the Bible:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”  (Romans 8:28 NIV).

There are a lot of things I don’t understand in life, but if I can remember that God works all things together for my good, and if I can remember that Jesus Himself is praying for me, I can move forward with peace and joy, even without understanding all the why’s behind everything.

I pray this week that your heart and mind are marked by peace that doesn’t make sense.

I pray that you are able to enter into joyous and festive celebration with your families, resting in the security of what you do know in spite of all the things you still don’t understand.  May the void you have felt in your own heart be filled with the love of Jesus Christ, the abounding love God your Father has for you.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends.

“…thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6 – 7 NLT).