Widows often lament: I could never remarry---That would be so hard! I had the perfect person for me! Yes, in so many ways, I can relate! In time, some widows do remarry, finding their next chapter. Others step into a pattern of serving the Lord, finding contentment in this service, being a “laborer” in the field of souls who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Some will find their way to serve in other avenues like reaching out to minister to other widows. But with young widows especially, with so much of life ahead, the years can seem so long. In this scenario, we find one of the Bible’s young widows who found her service in a difficult time. Let’s meet Anna.
Psalm 62:8---Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.
My blog has gone quiet over the months since I last posted. That was before cancer made an intrusion and God showed me how He is still my refuge, my place of strength and peace when I am given a new “assignment” in serving Him and sharing how He brings hope out of darkness. Not only in loss and widowhood, but He has walked with me through breast cancer, surgery, twenty-eight days of radiation, and now guiding me into two years assigned for a chemo med. God is still showing me He is my source of joy and hope.
It had been a long day for Ruth when she returned to Naomi that first evening. Naomi saw her lugging the 26 quarts of grain she’d gathered and I’m sure her eyes popped wide! “Where did you gather and whose field was it?”
Stress and worry can become a widow’s companion as new concerns and added tasks are heaped on her plate. Yes, an increase in loads to carry and fewer resources can rob us of peace as we face uncertainty on this new pathway. And yet, Jesus says in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” His peace. His unfathomable, heart-guarding, comfort-lavishing peace. A measure, a portion for us, is His generous provision. Ruth and Naomi will begin to see this portion unfold.
The comfort a widow receives when she turns to the Lord, the God of all comfort, is a life-preserver in the middle of the storm of grieving. And that is how the next “portion” is retrieved: help. Like the Psalmist in Psalm 12 begins: Help, Lord, we can trust He hears us, and will act on our present need.
I have looked at the first two of the six portions measured out to Ruth for her mother-in-law, Strength and Hope. Both are necessary in healing for a widow. For the third portion, I want to turn my attention to the importance of Comfort, the soothing of the brokenness of grief and loss.
Knowing where to go in our weakness for the strength we need is important. But knowing where to find Hope when all seems lost and we are struggling with putting one foot ahead of the other, that is critical. Realizing where to find that source of hope takes us back to asking the One who alone knows our needs.
Although the four chapters in the book of Ruth never directly says so, I’ve always thought that Naomi must’ve had a deep impact on her daughters-in-law throughout her stay in Moab.
Writing has been a welcome friend for me in many stages and transitions of my life, so it’s little wonder that writing has become part of my healing in the loss of my husband of nearly 43 years. Journaling has been a restorative activity for me, and as I gingerly step into the world of widow-blogging, I am wanting to keep my focus on how the Lord is leading me through this time. As our Assistant Pastor, Rob Dubois, took up the topic of the book of Ruth over the course of a few Sundays, I was inspired to delve into this short account of this trio of widows. With scripture leading the way, I wanted to start by looking at widowhood and the lives of these three ladies.