The holidays are often called ‘the most wonderful time of the year’. But for many, they are also the most difficult.
As families gather for dinners, services and celebrations, countless Americans will do so with the silent pain of loss. Erika Kirk will face this reality this year and mark the season without her beloved Charlie. The lights, the laughter, the traditions will all feel different.
She’s not alone. Across our country, families will have one less place at the table, one less stocking to hang, or one less familiar voice to hear. Some will mourn a recent loss; Others will feel the echo of something that never fades. I understand that pain. My family went through it.
When my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered, our world was turned upside down. More heartbreak followed a few years later: the murder of my grandmother, Mama King, and the untimely death of my father, AD King, whose death was never fully investigated as it should have been.
ERIKA KIRK HONORS LATE HUSBAND CHARLIE IN EMOTIONAL WHITE HOUSE TRIBUTE: ‘A FREE MAN MADE COMPLETELY FREE’
Those losses have left deep scars. But even in that grief, my grandfather, the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., whom we affectionately called “Daddy King,” never lost his faith. I can still see him holding his Bible, with tears in his eyes, saying the words that have carried us through every storm: “Thank God for what we have left.”
That simple sentence has echoed in my heart all my life. It was his message through heartbreak, injustice and sorrow, and it is a message that our world still needs today.
Even when life feels unfair, when sadness clouds every memory and joy seems out of reach, God has not forsaken us. He is still Emmanuel, God with us. That truth doesn’t erase the pain, but it does give us a way through it.
Sadness and gratitude can coexist. One does not cancel out the other. True gratitude often comes from sadness as we learn to see the beauty in what remains.
For my family, this meant holding each other and our faith tighter. It meant remembering that even as hate tried to silence love, the message of forgiveness and perseverance would live on.
For Erika, and for so many others going through grief this holiday season, it will mean finding comfort in memories, strength in community, and peace in the promise that this life is not the end.
As members of the human race of one blood, as we pause to celebrate the season, from the reflection of Thanksgiving to the joy of Christmas to the hope of a new year, I am reminded of Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
That verse captures the spirit of the entire season. Even in a world full of pain and division, God offers peace. Even when hope seems far away, His good will still shines through. The wonder of this time of year is that light can penetrate even the darkest night.
The holidays are about the perfect love of God meeting us in an imperfect world. So how do we celebrate when our hearts are heavy?
We do this by remembering that the same God who gave us loved ones to cherish also gives us the strength to endure when they are gone. We do this by thanking Him for the people and purpose that remains.
That’s what Papa King meant when he said, “Thank God for what we have left.” We thank Him for the memories, for the love that never dies, for the faith that sustains us and for the peace that passes all understanding.
The holidays can bring both tears and laughter, and that’s okay. Both are part of healing. But as believers we know that grief does not have the final word; grace does.
If you are facing loss this season, know this: God sees you. He hasn’t forgotten you. He knows your pain and He promises to walk through it with you.
Let this be the year where we reach out to those in pain, where we listen, comfort, and pray for each other. This is how peace and good will take root: not only in our hearts, but also in our actions.
And as we look to the year ahead, may we do so with renewed faith and hope. Let us carry the light of Christ in spite of despair. Let us thank God for what remains. Let us love fiercely, forgive quickly, and keep the faith alive in our homes, our communities, and our nation.
We still have breath in our lungs. We still have people to love and serve. We still have a Savior who keeps His promises.
As Papa King always said, and as my family still believes, “Thank God for what we have left.”
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A new year is just around the corner, and it could be brighter. As we close this year, let us receive the gift of Christ and extend the olive branch of love and unity; for everyone.
