Advent Devotional: Tuesday, December 10, 2024

“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” John 16:22

Illustrated by Lydia Rose (Age 7)

It’s undeniable my family’s traditional Christmas dinner will look different this year. Each December, we travel to Shelby, North Carolina, to spend dinner with my mom’s side of the family. This year, however, one person will be missing from the festivities.

In May, my grandfather Steve Hudson passed away after a year of battling cancer. Lovingly referred to as Pop by everyone, he was a shining example of what a Christian should be, loving, kind, and always looking out for others. He truly was the best grandfather anyone could ask for, and his presence at the Christmas dinner table touched everyone’s hearts. Without him, it’s hard to imagine dinner being as lively and full of laughter.

But Pop will be at Christmas dinner this year. Perhaps not physically laughing alongside us, but he’s there every time my younger sister laughs. She has the same smile as him, too, and they both make the same exasperated sound when they get annoyed. Pop is there when my mom talks, her southern accent more prominent around her family and her cadence mirroring the way he used to joke and laugh with us. Pop is there whenever my dad stands up and says, “Let’s eat everybody,” with a single clap of his hands or stands in front of the television with his arms crossed, glued to the baseball game. Even looking in the mirror, I see Pop and his big, bushy eyebrows on my face.

Pop made Christmas special, and dinner won’t be the same without him. But looking around the table, I know the pieces of him that everyone loved are alive and well inside every member of his family.

Dear God, please give us strength in times of sorrow and mourning for people we have lost. Please help us remember in this season we have hope for salvation and eternal life with the birth of Jesus Christ. Amen

Hiley Davis

If you or someone you know has experienced loss of any kind, we invite you to The Longest Night Service, Tuesday, December 17, 5:30 p.m., SMPC’s Chapel.  Contact: Dr. Whitney Bayer, whitney@smpchome.org.

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