Most moral people avoid women like these:
Tamar: from all appearances a sexually promiscuous woman, condemned to death by her father-in-law
Rahab: better known as the prostitute
Bathsheba: David's paramour and partner in adultery
Ruth: a Gentile in a Jewish world
Mary: an unwed, pregnant teenager in a world that shunned such sinful women.

Normal women would avoid any contact with several of these girls and likely forbid their children from playing with their offspring. And for sure, wives would forbid their husbands from interacting with them.

But God chose these five messy women as a means to forever change the landscape of mankind. Five ordinary women transformed by God's mighty hand into five extraordinary women whose blood flows through the veins of our Messiah. Five women God used to shape Christmas and give hope to a despairing world. That hope and transformation extends to each child of God today. Is your heart in despair, broken by deep loss? Are you messy, suffering the consequences of your sin or the sins of others? Have people you love unfairly rejected or hurt you? Do you long to see God's amazing grace reflected through your acts of mercy ministry? The lives of these women will encourage, equip and energize you to experience and reflect redemption in ways you never dreamed possible.

In my own grief journey, I learned that God spoke to me through all kinds of messages, they didn't have to be focused on grief. In fact, the deep truths of scripture applied to my broken heart in ways I never expected, even though the word grief was never mentioned. The lives of these women demonstrate God's overcoming power to take our broken hearts and transform them into channels of His compassion, using our very sorrow to touch the lives of others with hope and help. You can hear these messages 24/7. I'm praying that as you listen, He will give you treasures in the darkness, treasures flowing from the deep truths of scripture, designed to help turn your heart toward Him. Click here to visit OnePlace and listen to the messages.

I also encourage you to visit the website of Griefshare where you will find more articles on Surviving the Holidays. This is one of the best sites I have found for grieving families: http://www.griefshare.org/holidays/#articles

In His Grip,
Sharon