I wrote this post several days ago before the massacre at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. In light of that event and other heartbreaks that people I know are facing this Christmas season, I submit this Christmas message from our family to yours as a reminder of how fortunate we really are even when we think we’re not.

Christmas is a time of year filled with wonder and joy, the hope for new beginnings with the new year just around the corner. (At least, once you get all the Christmas shopping done)!

But for many people it is not!

I must admit that for most of my life I have never encountered much tragedy or heartbreak. And I’ve been pretty good at not noticing the problems others around me are facing.

Although Christmas is a joyful and meaningful holiday for our family when we celebrate the birth of Christ, I’m finding that Christmas can have a down side to it.

The Christmas season, and other holidays for that matter, can produce sadness as well, particularly for people who have suffered through the loss of a loved one.

Today, however, I’m not here to tell you about my sad situation. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. My situation is pretty good compared to the unfortunate circumstances many others are facing this Christmas season.

I guess now I seem to notice those who are suffering from tragedy, heartbreak, or the loss of a loved one more than before I had experienced it for myself!

But, no matter how sad my story is or how bad I think I’ve got it, there’s someone in a more distressful situation than I am in.

If we want to place some kind of metric on it, I don’t mean someone who’s just a little worse off than me. I don’t mean people who have it twice as bad as me.

I mean, this Christmas season there’s people facing indescribably difficult and stressful situations in their lives, maybe ten or twenty or a hundred times worse than me.

So, if you are one of those people like me who have some difficulties in your life and you find that this time of the year you start feeling a little sorry for yourself, then I have one thing to say to you (and to myself):

MERRY CHRISTMAS, NOW QUIT FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF!

Merry Christmas from Kaleb, Kenzie, & Poppy!

Maybe, like me, you don’t often encounter people with problems. You might need to start looking a little harder because there’s people out there who are struggling and carrying a heavy load!

But, no matter how bad your problems may seem to be this Christmas, there’s somebody else worse off than you!

Now, I’m not saying that just because there’s people that have more problems than you should make you feel better.

I’m saying that it should make you quit feeling sorry for yourself!

This Christmas, think of what you have, not what you’ve lost! And be happy about it! Be thankful!

After all, it’s Christmas!