Over the past few years now we have gained a much better understanding and insight into how holidays we celebrate with our families can be super hard and at times just sad when you are missing someone you love. As these holidays come throughout each year the reminder of absence and or loss is magnified. Celebrating birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day etc. at times has been heart breaking. It is the worst kind of heart break because on one hand you want to celebrate with your family and friends on these happy occasions but deep down inside there is this pain, this part of your heart that is missing. We have found that we have had to make a true effort and "dig deep" to avoid anger and bitterness during these times, and at times we have failed. To make an effort to focus on the blessings in our lives of what we do have and not just focus on what we do not have. We have come to realize we have been able make these efforts and to "dig deep" by trusting in Christ even though we may not understand these hard times. Trusting and knowing that Christ is good and that He is faithful has led us to true repentance of our bitterness and anger, allowing peace in our hearts during these hard times.
This year being in Korea we have had the opportunity to be away from the busyness of the Christmas season and to be able to slow down and reflect on all that God has done in our lives. So many blessings each and everyday! Being able to focus on Christmas, the birth of our Savior. Taking the time to really read God's word and remind ourselves that we have salvation through Jesus. Christ was born, lived a perfect life, and died a death we all deserve, rose from the grave after 3 days in order for us to be made righteous before a Holy God. Amazing! We are so thankful for this time and reflection.
We both have missed our families, friends, and our Christmas traditions this year. We were able to face time to wish our families a Merry Christmas which was nice and a little difficult due to the time difference! One of our traditions is that we always attend a Christmas Eve church service, so we began to search online different church services available in Seoul. We found a church nearby and attended a candle light service. At that service they had information on several local churches who were gathering together for a large service on Christmas Day, so we attended this service as well. Both services were really neat experiences! At the Christmas Day service with all the local churches coming together there were a lot of people of various nationalities. We have learned from our time here in Korea, many people from different countries are moving to Seoul for business, jobs, military and teaching opportunities. It was just awesome to see so many different people of various nationalities and different backgrounds come together to worship. Brent and I both have been blessed to be able to travel internationally on different mission trips and there is something so special about coming together with other believers from different nations who are your brothers and sisters in Christ. You have this immediate bond with complete strangers and you just understand each other even though you may not speak the same language. My faith in Christ is continuously strengthened during these awesome moments because I get to see before my own eyes how God is building His kingdom through His people. I think of what John writes in Revelation, "After this I looked, and behold a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation from all tribes, and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Revelation 7:9-12
We are thankful to the Lord that even on this Christmas in Korea away from our families, apart from Charlie, he has blessed us immensely with adopting us into His family, and surrounding us with our family, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Merry Christmas from Korea!!
Brent and Beth
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