{"id":2727,"date":"2025-12-22T04:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/?p=2727"},"modified":"2025-12-22T04:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T09:30:00","slug":"transforming-loss-grief-and-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/22\/transforming-loss-grief-and-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"Transforming loss, grief and fear."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\u201cCome to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
\u201cTake My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
\u201cFor my yoke is easy and My burden is light.\u201d

Matthew 11:28-30<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
I had never heard of a Blue Christmas service yet alone attend one until I was introduced to it and got to experience it first hand through Koinonia\u2019s Women Support group. Several of us took part that year and I cherish those memories as I think of those like Mrs. Thelma and Stephen Abbott (there may be others) who took part and whom have now gone on to be with the Lord. Yesterday we lit a candle for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blue Christmas, a Service of Hope for the Holidays, took place this year at Pastor Jackie\u2019s Church, Ascension Lutheran Church. It is one of the most Beautiful churches I\u2019ve ever seen; I couldn\u2019t help but stare at the beautiful stain glassed windows and the beautiful high beams above my head. The service was lead by Pastor Jackie, Deaconess D\u2019Etta, Ms. D\u2019Asia, Mr. Raekwon, and a few of the middle and high school Koinonia scholars. The service was a true blessing and the presence of God brought such an indescribable peace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much pain we see daily, the pews should have been filled with persons ready to lament and release BUT God allowed those who could gather to come together to do just that. I was heavy burden and by attending this Service and taking a moment to just rest in Him; he brought peace to my weary soul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shared a page from the bulletin and I encourage you to read it aloud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
We continued with the prayers of the people and it reminded me of my days being at NST Reformed Episcopal Church as we read from the Book of Common Prayer. Anissa the Lay Reader would drive anyone to tears how she read the liturgy and various prayers of the people with so much conviction in her voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m aware not everyone has been able to attend a Service such as this and many walk around with the weight of the world on their shoulders daily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we lit our candles and walked back to our seats while singing Silent Night I felt a shift in the atmosphere. By way of breathing exercises, silent meditation, and reflection God allowed us to release things we have been holding on to that no longer served us purpose. Feelings of loss, grief, fear, and more was transformed into hope, joy, and love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the person whose loss hasn\u2019t been transformed into hope yet, we pause and pray for you. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the person whose grief hasn\u2019t manifested into joy, we pause and pray for you. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to the person whose fear has blinded God\u2019s love, we pause and pray for you. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The service was perfect just as is so no need for me to put my personal reflections on today\u2019s message but I dedicate this to one who didn\u2019t make it inside but sat outside and allowed God to love on them right where they sat. Your tears didn\u2019t go unnoticed. You were prayed for. We lit a candle for you. May you go in peace and may you continue to find rest in the Lord. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cCome to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.\u201cTake My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your… Read moreTransforming loss, grief and fear.<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Transforming loss, grief and fear.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14],"tags":[248],"class_list":["post-2727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hopelessness","tag-bluechristmas","content-layout-excerpt-thumb"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-3.jpg?fit=1500%2C2000&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1131,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2020\/07\/24\/dont-fret-7-24-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":2727,"position":0},"title":"Don\u2019t Fret! 7.24.2020","author":"Whitnee","date":"July 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the last few weeks I have been surfing the web reading various articles. Same oh, same oh! Coronavirus cases rises, defund police, mass shooting, swimmer found dead, Black Lives Matter, tear this down, tear that down. So much pain nothing seems to be \u201cbreaking news\u201d anymore. 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Did you make it to the airport before you thought about the restrictions and prohibited items or were you so focused on the destination or the flight itself you forgot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Encouragement"","block_context":{"text":"Encouragement","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/category\/parenting\/encouragement\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2325,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2023\/03\/29\/take-up-your-cross-child-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":2727,"position":2},"title":"Take up your cross child of God.","author":"Whitnee","date":"March 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A few weeks ago in our women\u2019s support group, we had the chance to \u201cpaint and pray.\u201d A lot of people are familiar with the term sip and paint but thanks to the creative collaboration of Faith and Tatayana we were able to pray for one another, our community, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Encouragement"","block_context":{"text":"Encouragement","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/category\/parenting\/encouragement\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image000000.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image000000.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image000000.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image000000.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2595,"url":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/19\/summoning-my-help-confessions-from-my-hurt\/","url_meta":{"origin":2727,"position":3},"title":"Summoning my Help: confessions from my hurt.","author":"Whitnee","date":"October 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"And I said, \u201cMy strength and my hope have perished from the Lord.\u201d Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall.My soul still remembers and sinks within me. 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