The Oasis Of Christmas

What is it about Christmas that makes life so difficult and at the same time offers an oasis to us? As I sat in a room on Tuesday evening with some mothers who have gone through the devastation of losing a child, I pondered that question. Their loss is one no one wants to experience and yet, we who are parents know we're not exempt from that pain.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of great celebration. Family members gather together and get "caught up" on what took place over the past year. There's so much laughter and great sharing. Yet, to the bereaved parent, there's a great hole in the middle of it all. Their own child who has brought so much joy into the lives of other family members is missing. There's a part of them (the parents) that is gone and cannot be right again until Heaven.

Wait !!!! That's it !!! There's the oasis !!! There's the one thing that can and did bring hope. Heaven awaits a grand reunion. Because of that fact, these moms, in the room with people they could trust, knew this life "is not all there is" as the old Peggy Lee song told us.

Because of Christmas and the birth of our Savior, His atoning death and resurrection there is hope for the future. There is reason to celebrate and even laugh. Yes, there are tears. However, the knowledge that one day, there will be One Who has promised to wipe away tears and reunite us with a loved one.

Those of us who know that loss, say, "I can't wait" but with the hope that lies within us, by His amazing grace, WE WILL.

Learn more about the support groups Tim refers to: BASIS Support Groups