Holiday Heart

[vc_row][vc_column][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”by Nancy Blackman”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”15″][vc_column_text]Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! You hear it everywhere.  People are excitedly buying gifts and making preparations to celebrate with their family and friends, but deep down inside you feel sad and you wonder if you’re the only one who isn’t joyously celebrating the season.  Overwhelming stress to choose the perfect gifts, decorate your house like it’s from the pages of a magazine, and serve a meal that only Martha Stewart could prepare is part of the pressure we encounter this season.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]But there’s something else bothering you.  You start thinking of all the people you’re missing in your life that you used to celebrate the holidays with.  Some have died, some have moved away, and some you’ve had a falling-out with.  Whatever the reason, you have a sense of loss and feel like things will never be the same as they used to be.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]We’ve all suffered the loss of a loved one in one way or another, so how do we move past this loss and enjoy life again?  Psalms 147:3 says that God “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  He cares about what we’re going through and wants to heal our broken heart. Just like a broken bone is stronger after it has healed, so our hearts are stronger after they have been healed from a loss. Ask God to heal your heart and trust that he always has your best interests in mind, no matter what the circumstances are that are surrounding your life.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]“God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT).  After we’ve been hurt by a lost relationship, the natural inclination is to withdraw and not care about other people.  But God says we are to do the opposite – become involved in other people’s lives when they’re going through something and comfort them!  That isn’t easy to do, but as you step out of your self-imposed walls of grief, not only will you comfort others, but you will begin to see new purpose in your life and be able to move past your lost relationships.  For example, if you recently lost your beloved grandmother who always baked cookies with you, find somebody new to bake with, using your grandmother’s recipes. That way, you can bring joy into someone else’s life, banish some of your loneliness, and honor your grandmother’s memory by passing along her recipes![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Finally, believe in God’s ability to restore lost relationships. There is nothing more heartbreaking than when family members aren’t speaking to each other, but Jesus said part of his calling was “to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning” (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV).  Our relationships might be broken and seem hopeless, but if God can bring beauty out of ashes, he can fix our families![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In Luke 19:10, Jesus said that he “has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  He was primarily speaking of people without a relationship with God in this verse, but it’s part of God’s character to find and restore lost things! Just keep praying and believing for restoration of relationships and, when that is physically impossible, God will restore your joy and purpose in life, and then you will have the best Christmas ever![/vc_column_text][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”15″][vc_separator border_width=”2″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][nd_options_team nd_options_layout=”layout-4″ nd_options_title=”Nancy Blackman” nd_options_description=”Nancy Blackman grew up in the country in a small town near Columbus, Ohio, so she has always cherished fresh air and the simple life. Kittens and puppies were her best friends growing up. Nancy has lived in Ocala for over 30 years with her husband, David. They raised two sons here, who still live in the area, and have one beautiful granddaughter. After many years with no animals in their lives, they are now the proud pet parents of a dog and a cat!

Some people like taking a small concept and expanding it. Nancy likes taking something complicated and simplifying, summarizing, and organizing it. This is reflected in every aspect of her life, including her style of writing.

Nancy has been a home-based medical transcriptionist for 25 years and has no immediate plans for retirement. She has been a member of Now Church for many years and has served in a variety of capacities, including the children’s department, greeting, administration, prayer team, and hospitality. She enjoys baking and taking long nature walks and wants to spend more time traveling in the future. Her philosophy is that “life is good!”
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