“Look and see, for everyone is coming home!  Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home.”

Isaiah 60:4

I began yesterday’s reflection by talking about coming home at Christmastime. For many of us, being at home for the holidays is one of life’s greatest joys.

But not for all of us. Many people experience holiday homecoming with considerable ambivalence. Yes, in many ways it’s great to be back on familiar turf and to spend time with relatives and old friends. But some of these relationships may still be tainted with pain. Visiting our childhood home can stir up raw memories of rejection, loss, or abuse. Yet we’re supposed to sit happily at the Christmas table with the very people who have made our lives so difficult. We pretend all is well for the sake of family harmony, even when our hearts are wracked with discord.

How can we find God’s grace when coming home is hard? If we invite the Lord into our turmoil, honestly sharing with him our fears and misgivings, then he can begin to work in our hearts. Painful memories can open up avenues for healing. Relational snags can be catalysts of forgiveness. I’m not suggesting that everything will turn out rosy. But I do know that God will be at work in and through us if we open ourselves to him.

I experienced this very thing during last year’s holiday homecoming. I did something that really hurt one of my relatives, though I had no idea I had offended her. The conflict that ensued was no picnic, let me tell you. But the net result was a much deeper relationship and an opportunity for us to communicate our love for each other. I know it doesn’t always work out this way, but, by God’s grace, it can.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How does “coming home” feel to you? Do the holidays sometimes kick up painful memories or relationships? How might God be part of your homecoming challenges?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, today I want to pray for those who are looking forward to holiday homecoming with mixed feelings, if not dread. For them, being at home isn’t easy. It stirs up feelings of hurt and loss. It can become a source of even more pain.

Lord Jesus, you experienced something very much like this when you returned to your hometown of Nazareth, only to be rejected by your own people. You understand the disappointment and sadness people feel when home is not safe or supportive. So, I ask that those who are going home with hesitation might sense your presence and understanding.

Moreover, dear Lord, please work in families and friendships. Help those who have done wrong to apologize and those who have been wronged to forgive. Do a miraculous work of relational healing this Christmas. And may you receive all the glory! Amen.