Advent Day 5

Hebrews 6:19

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

December brings great joy and great sorrow. I’ve learned to hold space for both.

Yesterday I shared December’s joy—Matthew’s birth, our miracle.

But December also brings sorrow. Grandma Katherine went home to Jesus in December. The empty chair. The ache that returns.

I imagine you have empty chairs too.

Do joy and sorrow fit together during Advent?

Joy isn’t based on circumstances being perfect. It’s based on the One who holds us through our circumstances.

✝️Jesus is the anchor—through the storm and after it.

Notice: hope as an anchor for the soul. Not an anchor for your circumstances. Not an anchor that stops the storm or removes grief.

An anchor for your soul. Firm and secure when everything else is tossing.

I can feel joy for Matthew’s birthday AND sorrow for Grandma’s death. Both are true. Both are held.

The anchor isn’t your ability to choose one or push the other aside. The anchor is Christ—holding your heart in His capable hands.

Christ came INTO our sorrow. He didn’t skip the broken parts—He entered them. Immanuel. God WITH us in joy AND grief.

💜We light candles in darkness.

💜Sing carols through tears.

💜Celebrate birth while remembering death.

Advent invites you to bring your whole heart—joy and sorrow together—and let Christ be the anchor.

Your grief isn’t wrong. It’s the message that you loved deeply.

We often push grief aside. Especially during “the most wonderful time of the year.”

But God doesn’t ask you to edit your heart. He anchors your SOUL—all of it. Joy. Sorrow. Empty chairs. All held firm and secure.

What empty chairs are you facing? What joy and sorrow are you holding together?

The anchor holds. Christ holds. You don’t have to choose—He’s big enough to anchor both.

If you’re carrying grief this season and need someone to hold space with you, send me a message. I’ve cleared time in my calendar to sit with those who are processing the heaviness of December. Sometimes you just need someone who won’t try to fix it—just hold space for it.

I also just released a new podcast episode called “The Empty Chair: Coping with Grief During the Holidays.” In it, I share more of my story with Grandma Katherine, the unexpected moments when grief ambushes us, and practical tools for processing your emotions this season. You can listen here:

I’m praying for you. For your heart. For your empty chairs. And giving thanks for the One who sits with you in the joy and the sorrow.