Sunday Writing by Jan Andersen.... 12/11/16

Good Morning,

Jan Andersen authored the writing for today, and she called her writing, "REJOICING AND MOURNING."  She writes about this time of year being a time of both rejoicing and a time of mourning for people.  She seeks to help us understand the perspective of those who mourn and how we might deal with one another.  

Praying you have a joyful Sunday.

God's blessings,

Corinne & Jan

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Today's Devotional

"REJOICING AND MOURNING"

by

Jan Andersen

This is the third week of Advent, our preparation time before Christmas. Some people use an Advent wreath for the four weeks preceding Christmas with 4 candles around a central 5th candle. Three of the 4 candles are usually purple and one is pink, with the central candle being white. The first week of Advent one purple candle is lit, and it symbolizes Hope.  The second week a 2nd purple one is lit, symbolizing Peace. But on this third week of Advent the pink one is lit along with the first two purple ones.  That is because the theme for the third week of Advent is Joy or Rejoicing, a less somber theme.  It  symbolizes when the shepherds rejoiced after being told by the angels that the Savior had been born as well as our own rejoicing about the same. The fourth one lit will be the final purple candle symbolizing Love, and the fifth candle which is lit on Christmas is the central white one, the Christ candle.

But what about people who have difficulty rejoicing, especially at this time of year?  There are those who have lost loved ones, especially if they were lost in the past year, or around this time of the year in the past.  Also those who have been fighting physical or emotional issues may find it difficult to rejoice.  Depression can deepen when it seems as though others around are oblivious to the internal pain depression brings.  Then there are those for whom the thought of gathering with relatives is difficult, perhaps because they have strained relationships or no relationships with their families  And there are others who don't have any living relatives they know of and feel all alone, when everyone else seems to be rejoicing with their own family gatherings.  Those who have difficulties with being joyful at this time, for whatever reason, are often going through a mourning process.

So how do we deal with those who are not joyful but are mourning?  Sometimes we want to tell them to "cheer up!" by saying things could be worse, just look around.  Or we may find ourselves avoiding them because we don't want to be pulled down by their gloomy feelings.  Another temptation is to tell them that they can be joyful in all things, because that is what the Bible says.  But sometimes it is important to  just acknowledge their feelings and be with them and listen, offering love and our presence.  It is ok to feel sorrowful, even during the Christmas season.  Recognizing and acknowledging the feelings and allowing the mourning can help them move through them more easily.  Whereas, if the feelings are simply "stuffed" and ignored or fought against, it can make them more intense and last even longer.  

The Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice, but also to mourn with those who mourn in Romans 12:15.

We must allow the full range of emotions from rejoicing to mourning, in ourselves as well as in others.  It is only when we agonize in the complete anguish of sorrow that we are able to experience the elation of absolute joy.  As we share in these emotions with one another, we develop a greater sense of a loving and honest fellowship.

Dear Father God, thank you for all your blessings in our lives.  Help us to celebrate together when filled with joy and also to mourn together when sorrow fills our hearts.  Help us to know when to point the grieving to your joyful story of love and forgiveness, not to cut off their pain but for you to heal it when ready.  Thank you for forgiving us when we fail in these efforts, and for giving us the strength to carry on when we ourselves suffer.  We rejoice in your Son, Jesus, whose birth we are soon to celebrate, for He is our source of joy and salvation.  In his name we pray,  Amen.

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Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

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