Chrystal Hurst says grief during the holidays isn't a failure of faith. She shares cooking in her kitchen while crying, explaining her tears to her children, and points to Jesus weeping in John 11:35 as proof that mourning belongs in Christian life. Grief comes in waves, and the work is learning to breathe through them.
Many people actually feel guilty for hurting during the holiday season because they're supposed to be joyful. No, give your grief a home. I will tell my children sometimes I'll be in the kitchen cooking, crying. Mom, are you okay? Yeah, I'm making this dish and I'm thinking about Nonni. Pain doesn't have to make you weak, it just makes you human. And grief is not a lack of faith, it's evidence of loss and love. Jesus himself in John 11:35, he grieved. And grief, as many of you know, can come in waves, and some waves are small and some knock over. And neither of them is wrong. It's a part of living and sometimes learning to breathe again.
