How would understanding God’s love change your Christmas?

could a fuller grasp of God’s love for you in the midst of all your circumstances change your holiday season

How would it soften your grief if you better understood God’s love? How could a fuller grasp of God’s love for you in the midst of all your circumstances change your holiday season? 

If this is your first (or your fifty-first) Christmas without a loved one, I pray you’ll be comforted by the only love that will never cease. If this season is less than joyful because you’re experiencing the consequences of choices you’ve made, I hope you’ll find consolation in remembering that God’s mercy will never come to an end – even for you.

If you’re struggling to comprehend this, ask yourself: when my child is devastated by a tremendous loss, do I grow weary and close my eyes to his pain? When one of my children disobeys me, do I throw up my hands and give up on her?

Of course not. Neither does our heavenly Father distance Himself when we need Him.

There’s nothing that can make us more anxious than not resting in God’s love when we’re overcome with grief. There’s nothing that can make us more insecure if we’ve experienced God’s love, but live in fear that it could fade away, one mess up at a time.

If this captures your sentiments, I can’t imagine how you’re coping emotionally. Living without the assurance of God’s loving presence if my husband or child were to die would unravel me. Fearing He’d withdraw even a fraction of His love when I disobey Him would emotionally destroy me.

I need to know God will always love me. And that He’ll always forgive me. You do, too. Thankfully “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is [his] faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV).

God is always with us including when we’re experiencing loss. And His love and mercy will never fade or come to an end, even when our pain comes from defying Him.

Living in light of God’s faithfulness makes a tremendous difference in how we weather life’s challenges – especially when we can visibly see His involvement in our circumstances. God often uses people to comfort those who are struggling. I’d like to be one of those comforters. If you’re having a difficult time this holiday season, please let me know so I can be praying for you.

Sheryl H. Boldt is the author of the blog, www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. You can reach her at [email protected].

Related posts

Aerial view of a coastal neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Helene reveals the impact of climate change. Debris, including broken wood and roofing, is scattered across the area. Houses show visible damage. The ocean looms in the background with several palm trees lining the area.

Study suggests climate change may have exacerbated Hurricane Helene’s impact

<?php

global $post;

// Obtén el ID del post actual
$post_id = $post->ID;
// Obtén el contenido del post
$post_content = get_post_field( 'post_content', $post_id );

// Calcula el tiempo de lectura estimado en minutos y segundos
$word_count = str_word_count( strip_tags( $post_content ) );
$reading_time_minutes = floor( $word_count / 200 );
$reading_time_seconds = ceil(($word_count / 200 - $reading_time_minutes) * 60);

// Muestra el tiempo de lectura estimado en minutos y segundos
echo '<p class="read_time">Reading Time: ' . $reading_time_minutes . ':' . $reading_time_seconds . ' min</p>';

?>

Study suggests climate change may have exacerbated Hurricane Helene’s impact Experts see likely increase in annual global proportion of Category 4 or 5 tropical cyclones By Huella Zero The devastating…

View post
sheryl-boldt-headshot

Would you be voted off the island?

<?php

global $post;

// Obtén el ID del post actual
$post_id = $post->ID;
// Obtén el contenido del post
$post_content = get_post_field( 'post_content', $post_id );

// Calcula el tiempo de lectura estimado en minutos y segundos
$word_count = str_word_count( strip_tags( $post_content ) );
$reading_time_minutes = floor( $word_count / 200 );
$reading_time_seconds = ceil(($word_count / 200 - $reading_time_minutes) * 60);

// Muestra el tiempo de lectura estimado en minutos y segundos
echo '<p class="read_time">Reading Time: ' . $reading_time_minutes . ':' . $reading_time_seconds . ' min</p>';

?>

Would you be voted off the island? By Sheryl Boldt If your life and relationships were decided at the voting booth, would your family want you to run for another…

View post
turbine windmills in open fields under blue skies

The Largest Climate Investment in US History

<?php

global $post;

// Obtén el ID del post actual
$post_id = $post->ID;
// Obtén el contenido del post
$post_content = get_post_field( 'post_content', $post_id );

// Calcula el tiempo de lectura estimado en minutos y segundos
$word_count = str_word_count( strip_tags( $post_content ) );
$reading_time_minutes = floor( $word_count / 200 );
$reading_time_seconds = ceil(($word_count / 200 - $reading_time_minutes) * 60);

// Muestra el tiempo de lectura estimado en minutos y segundos
echo '<p class="read_time">Reading Time: ' . $reading_time_minutes . ':' . $reading_time_seconds . ' min</p>';

?>

The Largest Climate Investment in US History By Johani Carolina Ponce Enacted in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has become a key pillar of the current administration’s environmental policy.…

View post
<script>
  /*Source: https://github.com/Krzysztof-Antosik/Two-direction-Sticky-Sidebar*/
  
  // Verificar el ancho de pantalla al cargar y redimensionar
  function checkScreenWidth() {
    if (window.innerWidth <= 767) {
      // Si la pantalla es menor o igual a 676px, no ejecutar el código
      return;
    }

    const stickyElement = document.querySelector('.fb-sidebar__aside');
    const startPosition = stickyElement.getBoundingClientRect().top;

    let endScroll = window.innerHeight - stickyElement.offsetHeight - 500;
    let currPos = window.scrollY;
    let screenHeight = window.innerHeight;
    let stickyElementHeight = stickyElement.offsetHeight;
    let topGap = 40;
    let bottomGap = 40;

    setTimeout(() => {
      if (stickyElement.hasAttribute('data-top-gap')) {
        const dataTopGap = stickyElement.getAttribute('data-top-gap');
        topGap = dataTopGap === 'auto' ? startPosition : parseInt(dataTopGap);
      }

      if (stickyElement.hasAttribute('data-bottom-gap')) {
        bottomGap = parseInt(stickyElement.getAttribute('data-bottom-gap'));
      }
    }, 100);

    stickyElement.style.position = 'sticky';
    stickyElement.style.top = `${topGap}px`;
    stickyElement.style.height = 'fit-content';

    function positionStickySidebar() {
      endScroll = window.innerHeight - stickyElement.offsetHeight - bottomGap;
      const stickyElementTop = parseInt(stickyElement.style.top.replace('px', ''));

      if (stickyElementHeight + topGap + bottomGap > screenHeight) {
        if (window.scrollY < currPos) {
          if (stickyElementTop < topGap) {
            stickyElement.style.top = `${stickyElementTop + currPos - window.scrollY}px`;
          } else if (stickyElementTop >= topGap && stickyElementTop !== topGap) {
            stickyElement.style.top = `${topGap}px`;
          }
        } else {
          if (stickyElementTop > endScroll) {
            stickyElement.style.top = `${stickyElementTop + currPos - window.scrollY}px`;
          } else if (stickyElementTop < endScroll && stickyElementTop !== endScroll) {
            stickyElement.style.top = `${endScroll}px`;
          }
        }
      } else {
        stickyElement.style.top = `${topGap}px`;
      }
      currPos = window.scrollY;
    }

    function stickyElementToMe() {
      stickyElement.style.top = `${topGap}px`;
    }

    function updateSticky() {
      screenHeight = window.innerHeight;
      stickyElementHeight = stickyElement.offsetHeight;
      positionStickySidebar();
    }

    setTimeout(() => {
      window.addEventListener('resize', () => {
        currPos = window.scrollY;
        updateSticky();
      });

      document.addEventListener('scroll', updateSticky, {
        capture: true,
        passive: true
      });
    }, 1000);
  }

  // Verificar el ancho de pantalla al cargar y redimensionar
  window.addEventListener('load', checkScreenWidth);
  window.addEventListener('resize', checkScreenWidth);
</script>