Home for the Holidays?

"How was your Thanksgiving?" I asked the man behind the check-out counter.

"It was enjoyable," he replied. "I was with my friends and we had a good time."

"Oh, is your family not local?" I asked sympathetically.

"Oh, they're local. I just don't like being with them. It's always drama when I'm with them and this year I wanted some peace."

This scenario is becoming all too common. Mention "going home for the holidays" and you will get a number of scowls and frowns. How sad it is that so many people grew up in a house that was full of anger, abuse, or abandonment. They would never want to sing, "I'll...be home...for Christmas." Some don't even have a home to go to anymore because their parents are divorced or estranged.

Christmas is the perfect time to open your doors to these people. Invite them into the warmth of your home. You don't have to put on a big party or make a fancy dinner. Just think the three C's: coffee, cookies, and conversation. Start by getting to know them and making yourself available. Show them through your actions what a loving home is like. Then when the time is right, share with them the fourth and most important C: Christ. If a person grew up in a broken home, only God can heal them of those wounds.

And if you are the one groaning at the thought of going home for Christmas, but you are going anyway, pray for your time with your family. God can do miraculous things! Pray that you will be the peacemaker, the one showing God's grace. Remember the words of James 1:19: Know this, my beloved brothers, let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

One more thought for this holiday season: Christmas is a bittersweet time for those who have lost loved ones. In the last month, four of my friends have lost parents. Others have lost loved ones earlier in the year. Be tenderhearted towards those who feel especially lonely right now and need extra love. Look for opportunities great and small to shine some light in their darkness!