Please pray for the Lucero family. This is from Jerry Lucero in Albuquerque, we are great friends with Jerry and Ben Lucero and their family. Our heartfelt prayers are with them daily.
For those of you who don’t know my sister Yolanda passed away. The family is having a service to remember and celebrate her. In Albuquerque, at North Church, 4700 San Mateo Blvd NE, the service starts at 10:00 am Monday December 18th. Reception following. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you Jerry for passing this news along to us all. Love to you all!
We are also praying this morning for Dr. Michelle Bengtson who underwent surgery yesterday. We are praying for supernatural healing, in JESUS name, Amen!
Dr. Michelle wrote this post back in December of 2016, it remains a very popular post at FGGAM.ORG We are very thankful for Dr. Michelle and all she does for the Kingdom of God.
How do you help someone who is grieving at Christmas?
Holidays are hard following the loss of a loved one. After the funeral, life gets back to normal for almost everyone except those grieving. They are forgotten in the midst of their grief and loss.
Grief is not limited only to situations where loss occurs from the death of a loved one or a friend. Grief and loss also happen due to divorce and break-ups, deployment of a loved one in the military, or grief from the loss of employment to name a few.
10 ways to help the grieving at Christmas:
- Pay attention to how your loved one is handling their grief. Each person handles grief in a different way.
- Don’t assume you know what will help. Ask your loved one.
- For some, talking about their loss may help. But, for others, talking makes it worse. Ask your loved one if it would help to talk about their loss.
- Celebrating traditions may help your loved one cherish memories. Ask if they would like to continue those celebrations.
- Give a gift of remembrance in honor of the deceased. Purchase an ornament that honors the loved one that is no longer with you. Or, select a favorite picture and frame it.
- Plant a tree in loving memory or make a donation to a charity.
- Let your loved one cry. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”
- Your loved one may seem quiet or distant this holiday season. Be sensitive. Show sympathy and understanding.
- Encourage your loved one’s participation in events but be respectful if they choose to watch instead.
- Sometimes just being there speaks louder than words. Practice the art of listening.
You can’t take away your loved one’s grief but you can be present to provide comfort in their grief.
How will you help the grieving this Christmas?
For more hope and posts like this, visit Dr. Bengtson’s website:https://www.DrMichelleBengtson.com or follow her on Facebook:https://www.Facebook.com/DrMichelleBengtson
To learn more about “Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression,” Dr. Bengtson’s newly released book, see: https://drmichellebengtson.com/hope-prevails-book/.
This post from Shonda Savage is also a top read around the holidays. Sister Shonda wrote this in November of this year. We are praying for you and yours Shonda! We so much love Shonda’s heart for all people.
Holidays are a special time for families to get together. However, for some family gatherings they have someone they love missing. Some have lost loved ones who graduated to heaven. Others are separated due to other extenuating circumstances such as illness, finances, work, military service, or addictions. Then there are the families separated due to incarceration.
When my son was sentenced to prison, I grieved. Hard. The life I imagined our family would have vanished with the incarceration. That led to the grief that led to a season of depression.
In God’s faithfulness, He placed people in my life who encouraged me when I needed it. One person spoke a valuable piece of advice to me after my oldest son’s sentencing. She said, “Shonda you still have a son at home who needs you. Do not miss him because you miss Stephen.”
Those words stirred my spirit enough for me to snap off enough of the despair to focus on my family around me without forsaking the one behind bars. I had to learn to find the balance between the two different lives of my two sons.
Fast forward four years later and a friend who also has an incarcerated son shared a Beth Moore video with me that ministered to her for dealing with life during the holidays. This truth resonated with me, and now I share it with you.
In the video, Beth Moore discussed the grief of losing a loved one to death. But I also believe this truth applies to the grief of having a loved one incarcerated. Beth said:
“WE CAN MISS SOMEBODY SO MUCH THAT WE MISS THE PEOPLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND THE HELP OF THE SPIRIT, DO NOT MISS THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE BECAUSE OF THOSE WHOM YOU MISS.”
Powerful words to process! To see the full 3-minute video segment, click here or on the image.
Yes, remember those who are in prison as though you are there with them (see Hebrews 13:3). Send cards, talk on the phone, and go visit them.
But let’s NOT miss our families on the outside because we miss someone on the inside!
