Death hurts. A lot! The testimony of Scripture and of Christians during the last 2000+ years is that believing in Jesus does not eliminate grief. Death is an enemy.
At some point you will have to deal with the matter of forgiveness. For people who are Christians or who know anything about Christianity, forgiveness is one of the central ideas, and one that often gets messed up. It’s helpful to consider what forgiveness is – and isn’t.
God doesn’t simply rain down healing or transformation from “on high.” Instead, He came to be with us. And in whatever troubles you face, whether traumas from the past or troubles in the present, that means you can take Jesus there with you.
Holidays are supposed to be “happy and bright,” right? But every year I hear from people for whom the holiday season is anything but that. Just yesterday a friend asked me, “How do you deal with depression?” A few days ago a group of ladies gathered in my home, and every single one of them had some sadness connected with the Christmas season. It’s sometimes hard to push through the holiday blues.
You’re probably doing both. Two sinners getting married is a setup for pain – and for transformation. It’s likely you’re getting both wounded and healed yourself, perhaps more of one than the other. But that’s for another day. For now, what affect are you having on your husband or wife? How are you bringing yourself to the marriage? Are you wounding or healing your spouse?
