“Fear thou not, for I am with thee …” Isaiah 41:10

It was getting close to Christmas again. Normally, it was time to bring out the candles, decorations, and mementos of Christmas past.

Maria would have started early baking and he would have begun to scrounge around for a new recipe for fudge.

John sat down in his easy chair and began to count the days. He took out a pad and pen and started to make a list.

• Shop for Sally, Sid, and Skippy. He had to do that.
• Get a tree. Would he do a tree this year?
• Order gift cards co-workers and employees.
• Order a fruit basket for his assistant and family.
• Or maybe … strong maybe … order tickets to …. Anywhere.

Anywhere but here would be fine. Anywhere there was no Christmas and no memories would work.

Without Maria, what was the point?

Without her smile, laughter, enthusiasm, flair, creativity, and love, why should there even be a Christmas?

He sank deeper in his chair and deeper into the depths of his grief. It had only been three months and he was getting lonelier every day.

How did others do it? His mother? His brother who lost his wife? His cousin who lost a child? His neighbor who lost his job last year in November? How did they do Christmas?

He glanced out the window. A sparrow landed on a branch and seemed to catch his eye. It was as if the little bird was looking back and starting into his sad soul.

“Chirp, chirp, Chirp. There is no one left of the generation that brought me here, but listen; I’m still singing. Some days it is hard, but it will get better. His eye is on me and His eye is on you.

He knew that the whole conversation was in His mind, but He also knew that it came from somewhere deep within and outside of Himself.

The One who made it possible for us to celebrate had come to be among us, even in our pain. Nothing about that had changed.