Why Does Everything Seem to Go Wrong During the Holidays?

Join the Something Uncomfortable movement on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SomethingUncomfortableSteppingFromFearToFreedom

The older I get, I find myself asking that question more and more. Seriously. Why do we experience what seems to be more drama and crisis during this time of year? If you are anything like me, you’ve not only wrestled with that personally, but also with God. I mean, what is He thinking? Why allow the holidays to be difficult?

Here’s what’s happening in my little world right now:

• My father-in-law has cancer for the third time. And this time, it’s in his bones. And it hurts. I don’t mean hurt… I mean HURT. Like no one should suffer like that… pain. Why? And why now?
• In the last three weeks, my kids have had strep, a stomach virus and the flu. For the record, I do not ever remember experiencing influenza. It’s nasty and mean. My babies have wailed in pain from high fevers and body aches for days. And now my husband has it. I’m refusing to get it. So I should be good. ;)
• We found out yesterday that my 93-year-old grandma has blood in her stool… again. She had a horrible bleed last year that almost killed her. I can’t even wrap my brain around this happening again.
• And on the way to work this morning, my poor achy husband’s truck started shaking. Apparently it caught the flu too.

To be honest, that’s nothing compared to what some of you are dealing with. So again, why right now?

When my father-in-law was diagnosed a few weeks ago, I had the following thought:

Maybe now is the best time for all of the junk. Maybe God is not being mean, but instead He’s being merciful. How can I say that? Because even amongst all of the pain and heartache, right now we have Christmas. That beautiful moment where we focus on the glorious fact that He sent His Son to us. It doesn’t take away the pain. It doesn’t heal the fevers. It doesn’t fix the cars. But Christmas DOES give us hope. Hope when it’s hard to have hope. Hope when we need it the most.

While we live in this fallen world, there will always be pain, drama and junk. I’m thankful for the reminder that is Christmas… to look to Him when life is the hardest.

I’m praying for God’s peace and hope for all of you who are hurting this holiday season.