By Kayla DeKraker
Actress Roma Downey knows first-hand that closing out a difficult year comes with heartache, but she also believes hope is on the horizon.
“We are truly grateful and holding tight to God’s unwavering goodness, even though the grief feels too great at times,” she said in a previous article for Faithwire. “And as I turn my mind to preparation for the holiday season, it feels strangely bittersweet and out of place given all that has happened this year for me, my family and so many others.”
She noted that “bad things happen to people all the time” but explained that “we have to find our way back up, trusting that there is purpose in the pain — that good can and will come of it, by His grace and radical ability to work all things for good.”
When life gets difficult, Downey reminds us to count our blessings.
Related: Roma Downey Declares ‘God Never Changes’
“Today I am counting my blessings afresh and thanking God for every single one of them. Even the pain. For in the pain, I am given another opportunity to grieve in the safest hands; the hands that uphold me, will never disappoint and from which all blessings have and will forevermore come,” she reflected.
Downey reminded her readers also to not let the pain distract them from what this season is all about.
“As we prepare our hearts and our home to celebrate this holiday season, let’s remember the greatest gift there ever was, God’s own son coming to earth to be our Prince of Peace and our hope for heaven,” she said. “Through heartache and joy, Christmas has become not only a day to rejoice, but a day to remember that He came, He overcame death and through Him, pain has no hold over us.”
The Bible reminds us to look to Jesus in difficult times.
Hebrews 12:2 says look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Several weeks ago, Downey took to Instagram to encourage her fans in their faith.
In a photo reel of her and her dog at the beach, she said, “I got a Peaceful easy feeling 🩵 morning prayers on a winter beach.”
She then recited Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
If you are having struggling with grief or sorrow this holiday season, know that God is with you through the pain and a beautiful new year is on its way.
Read Next: Actress Roma Downey Champions Importance of Prayer and Faith
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