#The Year We Skipped Christmas

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. -PALMS 147:3

Of course, you can never skip Christmas, but one year we wished we could have. The Year was 2012, almost 8 years ago. Until December 3, 2012, Christmas was a joyous occasion for my family. Although we still mourned the loss of our older brother and son on Easter, we never would have imagined we would have such a tragic holiday. My brother-in-law was killed in the early part of December and the last boy of my mother’s six children was killed 3 weeks later. It was all a blur to the entire family because we could not wrap our heads around the tragedies that hit us back to back. In the middle of these deaths, I also dealt with the death of a family pet and later the loss of our family home. At the time of all of these things unfold, the mood I was feeling was that to be concerned. I did not feel life was worth living and nor did I care if I lived. Unbeknownst to the rest of my family, these were feelings I harbored after that cruel Christmas morning after finding out my brother had been killed. I guess what hurts most of all was we were getting ready to try to start healing from my brother in laws tragic death. A death, this same brother and I were in communication that very night doing what a sister and brother had to do to ensure we were in place when his wife (our sister) and his f0ur children (3 away in college) received the word that her husband and their dad was no longer alive. You see my brother went to the site of the crash only to be told we need to meet with the family at the hospital. My brother and I broke down together over the phone when he called to tell me. We had that moment just briefly then orchestrated the next move to get to our sister. Little did I know I would be receiving a call early in the am and a knock at my door 3 weeks later informing me of my brother’s death. Through it, MY MOTHER still remained the ROCK for us all!

By the grace of GOD, we have healed a great deal. We have learned to continue to talk about that year. It is never planned but somehow we always get around to talking about it. Sometimes it’s coming into the season, during and after Christmas. We know through GOD’s Grace and Mercy he has truly been the source of ALL of our comfort. Since those deaths, we have experienced others. My father-in-law passed on Thanksgiving Day last year and my husband and I both comfort each other considering his Mother passed a year before my brother on Christmas Eve.

So as I experience the HANDKERCHIEFS and PEARLS of life I didn’t embrace it well at first but through prayer and faith I made it through and you will too!!