Extra Consideration

[Thesauron]

How do you show some extra consideration for those among us for whom this particular holiday is extra difficult? We all want to maintain a Christian way of living, which includes removing ourselves from celebrations that dishonours God. But for many this holiday has been a time for family and friends.

 

How do you encourage these ones? And if you are particularly lonely at this time, how do you overcome it?

[PolitePerscription]

I must say, I do appreciate this question because it wasn't until recently that I realized when loved ones die on or near a holiday, it adds a new layer of grief, especially birthdays and Christmas. So much so that it ruins the holiday for the person. That's so sad to me

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[Geralyn]

If it wasn't for the thousands of miles between us and this horrid lockdown I would make a bonfire and invite you over, we would play original songs and make some yummy hot drinks...   I am an odd sort, I have been wanting to share a roasted burdock root hot toddy!   Spicy roasted pumpkin seeds and talk of world events!  I still love the story the holiday is based on and have spent time getting to know ALL the meaningful details they never know.   Obviously I cannot let you take it too seriously and I would be happy to have the company...   lol  This too shall pass...

[Android89]

I only just stopped celebrating Christmas and Birthdays 4 years ago, a year before being an un baptized publisher or the year (I don’t remember for sure). And what makes it hard is that me and my Dad (Elder) are the ONLY ones in our family to not celebrate Holidays. 
 

Some of my family were a little disappointed but now the accept what is going on, they just miss me. As for me I surprisingly don’t miss it too much because just how overtly Paganistic it is but I still miss being apart from family, and it feels like I am the party pooper. 
 

Although what makes this time more difficult as well is that my Birthday is a week before Christmas (17th) and honestly I still struggle with that sometimes; because I never did anything that extravagant for it anyway. 
 

I work at a single screen movie theater and the last few years they started to decorate and everyone is saying how excited they are for Halloween/Christmas and I am not going to lie it did sort of make me feel a little left out like I can’t do anything fun. Logically I know pagan holidays are bad, but because I have been in the world for so long that I sometimes miss them. So being around the world around this time is still difficult for me.

 

As for what I do, I usually try to distract myself by staying busy, so I volunteer to work Christmas. It is usually one of our busier times (and for the last few years get paid more). If I don’t do that like with last year and Covid it just feels a little awkward (me and my Dad were just watching TV/movies). So for me personally I much rather be working.

 

thank you for making this thread!

[Girl81]

I appreciate distraction during holidays.  I think inviting someone to do something is a huge help in filling the void. 

[Geralyn]

21 hours ago, Android89 said:

Although what makes this time more difficult as well is that my Birthday is a week before Christmas (17th) and honestly I still struggle with that sometimes; because I never did anything that extravagant for it anyway. 

Maybe our sharing will lighten your perspective.     My birth brought about the death of my mother (who I never got to know)  but my 3 siblings, my father and her mother all felt the sting terribly.  I never even thought of why my birthday was not celebrated until I was a late teen and I tried not to take it so personally...  😕

 

But as my family grasped that I was not going to do Christmas they asked "well, your birthday is coming up, soon"  and I had to laugh as I said  "I don't even celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday what nerve would it take to celebrate my own?"  not to mention my own right to celebrate my "place in the world" had been denied me my whole life due to the view of my family that somehow I was responsible for that sad outcome...  I replace all these thoughts with a mental image of being resurrected to paradise or living through Armageddon and these thoughts will NEVER enter my mind and heart again!

 

~-~ “Here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.”—ISAIAH 65:17.  ~-~ Rev 21: 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” ~-~

Edited December 26, 2021 by Geralyn

[Geralyn]

This jogged my memories of days gone by I recall there was a brother that organized an outdoor picnic for one of the holidays which fall at year's end.   He would reserve a pavilion with a fireplace and we would have a huge get together!  Everyone was welcome and one year Bro Jackson (a beloved CO) came too!   We would hang tarps to slow the winter winds but it was still encouraging...   No one else in the park but the occasional herd of deer!  Ahhh   yes we need to make a place for everyone as group gatherings fall by the way when taking a stand for Jehovah.

[Ishaya]

my congregation used to have the most interesting preaching activity in the year on christmas day.

we use this period to visit territories that are too far to be regularly preached.sometimes we even cross a large rive to preach some places.

we get the largest turn out of publishers during this period since everyone is very free.

and then in the evening we organize a get together as a congregation.everyone feels happy rather than staying at home alone and feeling lonely.