Going Home.

Lately, whats been screaming on my mind is that December could be considered the most bustling yet reflective months there is. Many of us are trying to put the previous year in perspective all while trying to juggle a calendar with not enough days on it. Some of us welcome this busyness. December offers us a chance to spread warm greetings to loved ones and friends. Its a time to 'Go Home' to time honored family traditions and familiar embraces. But for millions, December is a time to face all that isn't. The holidays can be extremely painful if we are constantly reminded that there is no 'Home' to go to. 

By 'Going Home' I'm referring to that warm familiar place (physical or metaphorical) that most look forward to this time of year. A lot of us can identify with the statement  "I grew up in a dysfunctional home". So if this is true, then its safe to say that a lot of us don't have precious family traditions to carry on. Sometimes, 'Home' was the place we escaped from. 

Let's face it; we humans are masters of burying unpleasant things and we like to think we do a pretty good job all year long. Think of it as a shallow grave. But like most things that aren't buried properly, it will be unearthed at some point, and that point is usually The Holidays! Anything from feeling unaccepted by ones family of origin to not having a family of origin to begin with, can leave an unspeakable void in us that December highlights. 

While I've been blessed with kind in-laws and extended family who stepped in during my childhood to make the holidays bright, I still understand what it was like to escape from a difficult home life. For a good portion of my childhood, there was no tree or presents or Christmas carols. Christmas was just another cold day. Maybe that's you right now. But I have Good News,it doesn't have to be that way!

I've come to realize that the holidays are more about our outlook than anything else. Yes, we may come from fractured homes and families but why live in that prison? If Home is a place that we had to escape form, then why do we live as if we're still there? If we are adults then we have a choice. We have power. For me, that power comes from above. it comes from knowing that I am loved all year long (John 3:16). For me the Holidays will forever be redeemed because of Who Jesus is (Isaiah 9:6). I'm not writing out the verses because I want you to read them for yourself. God's Word is LIVING and must be experienced for oneself. 

Let Me leave you with this. We can celebrate The holidays with a new tradition as we turn our focus from what isn't to what is. In doing this, we can become 'Home' for others to go to. We can be the familiar warm embrace that hurting people look forward to all year long. This December, We can all "Go Home". Now that's something to Scream about!