The Widow's Hope

Thinking this evening about a sister in Christ who very recently lost her husband to death and is now grieving her loss. Tomorrow is one of the 'firsts' that she'll be facing--making a trip alone. She needs prayer in the transition to her aloneness, of making plans and decisions herself that before were shared tasks. There are many 'firsts' that must be faced with prayer and God's enablement, so those who care about her pray for her strength and wisdom, that she will rest her hope and trust in the God of her salvation.

I recalled a discussion a few years back on Revive Our Hearts between Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Margaret Nyman, whose husband had died from cancer. They talked about the struggles a widow faces in those first months and the 'firsts' that one must face alone. Margaret also talks about how others reached out to her and what was helpful. I listened again this week to the discussion, and it helped me to understand a little of how to reach out to my friend. I also gained a glimpse of what may lie ahead for myself someday.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in listening to, you can find the discussion here. It's a 5-part series, about 25 minutes each. Margaret has written a devotional book entitled Hope for an Aching Heart: Uplifting Devotions for Widows. I gave a copy of the book and CD to my friend and pray that God will use Margaret to comfort and encourage her.

Magnifying the Lord Together ~ Married or Widowed

As I was walking with a friend a couple of days ago, our conversation turned to growing older and perhaps someday living as a widow. She mentioned that Nancy Leigh DeMoss had been talking with Anne Ortlund about the same thing on Revive Our Hearts for the past several days. So this morning I downloaded the sessions and began listening on my ipod as I was on the treadmill.

As a getting-older woman myself, I like to listen to older women and hear what God has taught them and what they're still learning. Anne touched on something that struck a chord with me this morning.

I had mentioned to my friend on our walk that if it weren't for God's grace that I knew I would just spend my days sitting in a corner and waste away if My Beloved went to be with the Lord before I did. I would miss him terribly and probably die of a broken heart. Good friend that she is, she admonished me about that kind of thinking. God wouldn't want me to do that, and My Beloved wouldn't want it either. We had a good chat then about God's grace and care and talked about women who continued to glorify God in their widowhood.

Anne Ortlund is 86 years old and has been a widow for a few years.  As I was listening to her and Nancy this morning, she said that for the first year after her husband's death, that when she would pray she would tell God she couldn't wait to get to heaven and see Him and Ray (her husband). Then one day it dawned on her that she was putting her husband on the same pedestal as God, and she realized that God might not even have her and Ray living in the same area in heaven. Her desire for heaven had to be in seeing Jesus, not in seeing Ray--although of course, that would be delightful.

Anne's comments today reminded me that my hope for purpose in my life is not in my husband--as much as I enjoy being with him and being his help mate--that my purpose in life will go on should he precede me in death. That purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Anne shared that her husband proposed to her with Psalm 43:3
"O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."

They had 61 years magnifying the Lord together here on earth. He is now magnifying the Lord in heaven; she is magnifying the Lord still living here on the earth. She says they are still magnifying the Lord together.

It was a sweet discussion. I'm looking forward to listening to Nancy and Anne chat some more. You may want to listen in yourself online at Revive Our Hearts. You can listen in anytime you like. Check out the archives, too--lots of good stuff for women there!

Psalm 146:9 

[God] upholds the widow and the fatherless.