"I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS"

 

By Angeline M Duran

A call from my daughter started my morning with joy and I was happy to hear her voice. I had spoken with my oldest son last night and I truly felt blessed with just hearing their voices. All was not well. It was far from an exciting Christmas Eve. Yet, in the midst of feeling this ache deep in our hearts, there was also a song of joy.

The heat was gone. The boiler kept shutting down and the living room was cold. So, I decided to immediately tackle the windows for some warmth until we can get this issue fixed. The coffee pot was set and ready to go. I put on some Christmas music and then walked over to the linen closet to go through the mess and find some winter-worthy curtains. Putting a panel up, the song came on and I froze on the ladder. "I'll be home for Christmas. You can count on me..." Immediately, I turned and climbed down ever so gently with the gasp still stuck in my throat. My hand on the remote pointed at the TV and clicked on the forward button. "Go away, song!" I said in the silence of my thoughts. "Stay away."

Well, curtains were partially up and I went on to start breakfast. Getting the pans, another artist decided to grace my kitchen. "I'll be home for Christmas." Now, I felt bothered because I just did not want to be sad today. So, again I went and just changed the music. I went from instrumental to Christmas favorites and everyone seems to want to play this song. I changed it and then it hit me.

It was okay to hear this song. Yes, Frankie will not be in this home for Christmas. Your father, your mother, your sister or brother who passed away will not be entering through that door any time soon. Your beautiful grandparents or your precious children who closed their eyes to this home on Earth will not be sitting with us for Christmas or Hanukah, or New Year's Eve. But, if they gave their hearts to the Lord, their hope and their expectation has been granted for they are truly home. Yes, Merry Christmas Frankie. You are definitely home for Christmas. I will miss you terribly today but I rejoice with you because you have entered into that rest promised to those who choose to embrace the gospel message.

My friend, I wish I could hug you and tell you it will not hurt but we are not going to become liars and pretend. Every loss is like a chunk of our hearts removed and left on the cold rocks of the path we love to walk through so much. 

I love the way the New Living Translation shares Hebrews 13:14. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. While other translations use the word city, here we see it says home. That is the hope we have in our hearts, to go home, home to be with our Heavenly Father, Abba.

John 14:1-3 also reminds us to be at peace. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. (In other words, do not start to worry and just park yourself on the chair and think on those things that make you sad and trouble you.) You believe in God; believe in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

These words fill us not only with hope and peace but an assurance that our loved ones who embraced Jesus as their Savior are in a beautiful place with the King of Kings.

There is a story, more like a tradition, in some places where a seat is put at the dinner table for the special stranger or guest that is expected to come to dinner. Everyone knows he will not come because it is more of a way, I guess, of showing the home is open to someone that has no place to visit and enjoy a meal for the special day. I placed a chair in the living room and designated as Frankie's chair for the holidays. Yes, I know he is not here and will not be home for Christmas. We established the reality of that already. Yet, in my heart, when I close my eyes, he is present, enjoying his family, his children, and laughing with us. 

As I made breakfast for my youngest son, the song, "Oh Holy Night" came on and it was a favorite of ours to listen to in the car. It is definitely a holy night. Frankie and all the loved ones that went on ahead of us this year and years before are in the presence of the Holy One. They are not watching us and seeing our hurt of pain for the Bible says that there is no weeping or pain in the presence of the Lord. It is a beautiful night to sing because they finished the race and they have won the fight. This world is definitely not our home. The Bible says we are pilgrims and strangers here because our true home, our genuine citizenship is in heaven, in our new home, one day, with our God.

I guess, now, if the song, "I'll be home for Christmas" comes on the radio, maybe, just maybe, I am going to be okay with it. Now it has a different meaning for me. Frankie is with the One who loved him and loved you and me so much that one day He sent his Son, He chose to come in the form of humanity and take upon himself all our pain, our wrongs, our sins, our hurts, the abuse, the addictions, the suffering, the diseases and the sickness, and the ticket to hell and life without God. Jesus took it all and He paid a heavy fine so that we could have a place with Him in heaven. He came as a baby but He was already Lord and King. The heavens declared his birth and pointed to the babe in the manger. Nature itself publicized his coming and the moment he was born. The world would never be the same. He came for you and for me.

So, tonight, as we enjoy our time in our homes, regardless if you are alone, if you have to quarantine, or if you are with family, or in the hospital, or going through an extremely sad and painful moment, know that I am praying for you. God is thinking of you. Hold on to the Lord. Be filled with hope. The ones that have gone before us are with the Lord. We need to believe and hold on to Jesus so that we also can one day enter into that glorious city, our eternal home.

If you need a friend, I am here. We will get through this. One day it will not hurt so much. Let us rejoice today for we remember the gift of God's love sent to us in the promise of His Son, no longer a baby in the manger, but a Risen King, promising forever life in Him. I love you and hope you know I am here for you.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and May the Lord do a new thing in your life, a great thing, a wonderful new thing in you.

-In Him,

Angeline M Duran