A Seat at the Table

It's pretty much an unspoken understanding that around the holidays, a few things happen; the sentimental edge of people comes out, there's a desire to give lavishly to the ones we love, we may attend a church service, send Christmas cards and both consciously and unconsciously remember those that are no longer here to celebrate the holidays with us.

For some, the holidays are now just another reminder that someone won't be at the dinner table. For others, it might be the time when new traditions are grafted in to celebrate and remember the life of their loved one.  To some, there will be a bunch of 'firsts'.  Their 'first' birthday without them, the 'first' Thanksgiving without them.  The 'first' snow fall without them.  And perhaps the hardest of them all, the 'first' Christmas without them.  The meaning of Christmas might even temporarily change altogether.  Instead of celebrating the birth of the Savior of the world, it's now just a reminder that there's an empty place in your heart and an extra seat at dinnertime.

As we head into this holiday season, I can only hope we don't make a B-line through them to February just to numb our real emotions and barely 'survive' Christmas.  Would we then be doing our lost loved ones a disservice by stunting our lives and stopping our regular traditions in their absence?  I think yes.  I also think we tend to forget that life never really ends, only life on earth does.  And even though there's now that empty seat in your kitchen at the table, they've only gone to sit at the table with the King.

An empty seat was filled in Heaven even though one remains empty at our table.  I'm not naive to the reality of my grief.  It still sucks.  Really bad.  It still hurts.  Super hard.  I miss her here.  And Christmas will vastly approach, I just hope it won't vastly roar through.  I want to feel Christmas this year.  I want to remember the hope that it brings.  And I'll endeavor to never forget the reason we celebrate Christmas at all; because of His great love for us, He emptied a seat at His table.