Beautifully loved……..
When thinking back to the days you were dating, the sparkle in your eyes when you were sure this was Mr. Right! And then wondering when he was going to ‘pop’ the question. Then he finally did…. Everything about that time in our lives was exciting. We felt loved! We felt beautiful! The wedding day arrived and all was well and we were going to live happily ever after.
With God leading our lives, for the most part all was well. But there were times when marriage was tough. And many times life was good. We learned to lean on each other and become one. We would bounce ideas of one another. We went to church together and socialized as a couple. If we had children, many of the parents of our children’s friends became our friends. We may have sat home on a Friday night and watched a movie or a sporting event in silence because we were comfortable together.
And then it happened…… Our days became numbered as a couple. For some it happened immediately, and for others their spouse’s disease lingered. How often during that time did we wonder who was going to be there to tell us we were loved or we were beautiful. Jeremiah 31:3 reminds us: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Many of the lessons we have learned in life is to lean on Christ. As we look back on where we were and where we have come, He is the one who helps us along the way. Psalms 136:26 reads: Give thanks to the God of Heaven. His love endures forever.
As many of us have walked this path, we have learned to accept where we were or how far we have come. Meeting new friends has helped as we walk this new path and grow in our journey. Our lives have changed with new activities and we have learned how to do things we never thought we could do. Most likely we have all changed in our faith. We have had to rely more on God to help us in this new life.
While we know our spouse is in heaven, what’s next? For each of us, we may have different answers. A couple of things we may need to think about. Things like what are our priorities now, and what is the meaning of our life? We are constantly reminded that yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not certain. We only have today. The only one who is constant is Christ. Hebrews 13:8 reads: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
It seems difficult to think about what our new life will be. Many of us remember all the ‘Why’s’ we asked especially in the beginning. And to be honest, we may never know the why.
When I am down and out, it is so easy to think I am not loved or beautiful. It’s amazing how Satan tries to tell us we are not loved. But we are! In the Song of Songs 4:7 God looks at us and says: You are altogether beautiful, my love, there is no flaw in you.
If you are new to this journey of widowhood, I encourage you to meet with a seasoned widow. One who can guide you along the way, pray with you or help you learn new things to explore to fill your time with.
Remember – You are beautiful! And you are loved! Blessings to each of you.
Encountering Widowhood 