She is 90 and filled with life, love, her pet dog, gardening and independence. Then a traumatic stroke suddenly robs her of life and there is no time for good-byes and good wishes.
Those who love her start with the, “What if I had done this,or that or the other? Maybe the outcome would have been different. Maybe she would still be with us.” Along with those thoughts and words come the debilitating guilt, shame and blame. What to do with those very real feelings?
One choice is to live with those weighty feelings of guilt, shame and blame that tend to cause insecurity, confusion and depression. The other choice is to acknowledge the trauma, the very real feelings, to self, one another and to God. Instead of hiding the recriminations that are going on inside, honestly and openly share the struggle going on within without fear of punishment.
The next step is to forgive this lost loved one, self and all the others that possibly could carry some blame for this loss of a precious life. Tell it all to Jesus. He traded His life and His blood so that each and every one of us can hand Him our guilt, shame, and blame. He knew when He came to this earth that we would need to be rescued from so many messes because of our wrong thinking.
Take your eyes and your mind off the mess, accept your frailty and shortcomings. Look at Jesus and His eyes of love. Hear Him say to you, “I have come to bring you joyful and exultant confidence and a sense of triumph in your hope in Me and what I have done for you.” Then bask in His forgiveness and acceptance of you in His beloved arms of rest.
May your Christmas truly be Merry in the reality of His love for you!!
