A few days before Christmas, we received a beautiful floral arrangement with a card that said, "Remembering your loss and wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Love and prayers, Dave and Betty."

Seven months earlier, my sister Marti and her husband Jim had been killed in a traffic accident. This was our first Christmas without them, so it was a great encouragement to have friends acknowledge our loss and express their love in a tangible way.

Dave and Betty understood our need to grieve and find God's healing because two decades earlier their daughter had taken her own life. They had experienced the Lord's comfort over the years, so they were able to come alongside us in a sensitive and caring way.

That loving act came as a striking example of Paul's words: "The Father of mercies and God of all comfort . . . comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

When God touches our broken hearts with His peace, we are uniquely equipped to share that with others. What a wonderful gift to give and receive at Christmas!  — David C. McCasland