Bittersweet Christmas
2007 at 4:17 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
Maybe you are not grieving a great loss this Christmas. But Christmastime is a milestone of “a hope deferred.” Maybe you are still single. Or your marriage is still difficult. Or family relationships still haven’t been restored. Or you still haven’t realized a life-long goal.
Carolyn McCulley identifies with this challenge:
“When you have a hope deferred, the holidays can be a bittersweet time. Unbidden emotions—grief, confusion, self-pity, sadness—can suddenly wash over you without warning. The holiday season can be like a landmark in time—“wasn’t I here in exactly the same situation last year?”—commemorating the creep of time. That’s the bitter part, but there is also the sweet part if we stand like a sentinel and look for it.”
Even in the midst of bitter circumstances there is a sweet aspect to the Christmas landmark. Read to find fresh gospel hope this holiday.
