Finding Hope in Holiday Grief: Faithful Support for the Brokenhearted

Holiday joy can deepen the ache of grief. Discover ways to honor your loss, tend to your heart, and find comfort in God’s nearness this season.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed” Psalm 34:18.

With the holidays approaching, many people are becoming excited for family activities and special moments that accompany the season, but there are also many people who struggle with grief during the holidays. Grief is defined by the Merriam-Webster (1828) dictionary as “deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement,” which, simply put, means grief is a typical response to a major loss, such as the death of a loved one, but there are many other sources of grief including divorce, trauma, a medical diagnosis, or infertility, to name a few.

One important thing to note is that grief is not just an emotional reaction but also a physical, intellectual, and spiritual experience as well.

Grief can be overwhelming to a person, family, or community, and it usually creates a mix of emotions that can be hard to manage. Grief is different for everyone, and it is not linear - as most might expect - but, rather, it comes in waves. These waves can be triggered by sounds, smells, a place, a special time of the year, or the holidays. 

It may be helpful during the holidays to consider how your loss may impact you and regularly check in with how you are feeling.

Externalizing your thoughts, feelings, and needs

is vital to processing your grief rather than internalizing or avoiding it. Ways to externalize can be sharing stories, lighting a candle for a loved one, journaling, or creating a scrapbook. By acknowledging and expressing your thoughts and feelings, you can begin to cope with your loss.

Coping with loss can look different for everyone.

With some it can look like canceling a big holiday celebration, celebrating in a new way, or having more than one plan depending on how you feel that day.

Relying on your personal faith and faith community

can provide a way to remain anchored in the Lord and His Word. This can include reading your Bible, reciting Scripture out loud, praying, joining a Blue Christmas group at a church, or reaching out to a trusted church leader or faithful friend.

Know that there is no right way to grieve and there are many helpful resources available to those who are grieving. So, this holiday season, try to be gentle with yourself, allow others to help, and give yourself time for feelings.

For more personal help in walking through a season of grief please reach out to our team. We're here to help you!

Kristie Morton began as an intern at In Him Christian Wellness and joined our staff following graduation this past Spring. She enjoys helping individuals, couples, and families, including children and teens, to grow and heal in their relationships with themselves and others. Kristie utilizes cognitive behavioral talk therapy approach and art expression to help people externalize their thoughts and feelings.

Learn More About Kristie