God heals our wounds, not time

The holidays can be fun and exciting, they can refresh our spirits as we close out the year with family and friends in celebration.

But for some, the holidays bring feelings of despair, loneliness, and depression as they look back over the events of the year, as they remember loved ones who have gone on before them.

Time really doesn’t heal our wounds, it may cover them up but healing only comes from inside out, as a work of the Holy Spirit.

We look for answers to questions on why things happen more around the holidays, especially Christmas. We think of Christmas as it should be, joyous, peaceful, fun, time together, reflecting on our blessings with our families, but when there is a void where someone’s missing our hearts get heavy, and we want an answer to why they aren’t there.

Quite simply we don’t have the answers, outside of death comes to us all, no matter our age, race or status, death plays no favorites.

None of us know how limited our time is, we should learn by now to live each day to the utmost, loving each other and treasuring each moment we are given together. Most of all we need to learn to love and honor God in all we do, especially in our relationships with each other.

We need to learn to forgive others, forget each other's shortcomings, including our own, past mistakes and foolish words. We cannot change what has been said or done, we can only choose not to repeat them.

We need to keep our hearts focused on God above, walk in His ways, our hope is in Him alone. For in Christ we have hope, joy, peace, strength, abundance, grace, mercy and love.

The very things we are missing are found in Him, and in Him, our loved ones who have gone on before us are now made complete and they wait for us to one day join them with Christ as we enter into eternity together, were never again we will experience sorrow or loss.

That is where joy is everlasting, peace is all we will know, and our hope will be complete.​

God's word says this:
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“Even in laughter a heart may be sad, and joy may end in grief.” Proverbs‬ ‭14:13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord, for those who fear him lack nothing. Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all. He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. The Lord redeems the life of his servants, and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.” Psalms‬ ‭34:1-22‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. “This is what I command you: Love one another.” John‬ ‭15:9-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars — their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”” Revelation‬ ‭21:1-8‬ ‭CSB