A very difficult week for the widow is the space of time in between Christmas and New Year’s. Personally, I have come to enjoy this week leading into January, it is one of my favorite months of the year. However, packing up the old is not easy for the widow, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Change is not easy for many of us. God understands and gives many admonitions in the Bible to stay strong in unwanted seasons.
“Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established” (Proverbs 4:25-26, NASB).
“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it (maturity) yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NASB).
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19, ESV).
How to come alongside the widow during the “in-between” (time between the former things and those to come):
- Understand that moving forward without her husband takes time, do not expect her to shift gears quickly.
- Remembering the past does not mean she is not moving forward. Share memories of the impact her husband made on your life.
- Be present with her. Physically assist her with home maintenance, auto repairs, and in other ways where death has left a void.
- Invite her to opportunities of fellowship, service, and worship that will gently lead her to embrace this new season. Including her is a tangible reminder that she has not been left alone.
- Pray that she will put her trust in God and feel God’s presence in the absence of her husband.
