Yesterday the pastor in my church who greets the congregation and makes the announcements said, "This week all of us are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving." It occurred to me that his statement is not really true, unless he meant that some people look forward to the day with anticipation and many others look forward to it with deep dread.
The very idea that holidays can be pure torture, seems scroogish to people who love them. However, many people, including several people in my own household, hate them. The this-is-what-it-should-be-images of a perfect holiday collide with stark the reality of a wilderness season of life. Misplaced guilt over not being happy only adds to the problem.
For years I found myself beginning to feel sad in anticipation by the end of October, and remaining that way until I could breathe a sigh of relief that it was all over in January.
Today, I would like to simply acknowledge that this time of year is difficult. I want to tell you that if your heart is heavy and your stomach churns at the thought of facing this week, I am praying for you. You are not as alone as you feel, and you will be able to persevere through this season.
In the next couple of posts I plan to share a couple of thoughts that have helped me during wilderness holidays.
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