How can a widow help change the narrative of a fellow widow?
MY friend, Gracious Chifamuna, is on her second week of addressing this topic. Find her words below. I love the words by David Stoddard: “Getting the most out of life is not about how much you keep for yourself but how much you pour into others.” His words remind me of Proverbs 27 vs 17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another:” No doubt: mentorship/discipleship and the power of coming together/partnership are tried and tested principles that produce results. Our Lord Jesus Christ modelled it for us. Widows can do the same.
When going through a rough season in life it is easy to drown and forget about others. It is natural to focus on oneself and expect to receive from people. In my last article, I shared the need for a widow to define her mourning period so that she is not stuck in her grief.
I know for sure that my late husband will always be in my heart, but there is no need for me to be stuck in my grief. One of my anchor scriptures is Phil 1 vs 12: “Now I want you to know brothers and sisters that what has happened to me has served to advance the gospel.”
This is a perspective that I am challenging every widow to adopt and seek for opportunities to advance the gospel by pouring into a fellow widow’s life. We see here that Paul was in chain, Paul was in pain. Paul could have doubted God, God’s power, and love for him. I mean why did God allow Paul to be imprisoned?
However, Paul had a different perspective and a deeper understanding of who God is, therefore him being in chains did not stop him from preaching the gospel.
Carrying the title widow is painful, the task of raising children alone is hard, it is easy to doubt God and His love for us as widows. However, if we adopt the right perspective and find strength in Him, we too can echo Paul’s words: “What has happened to me has served to advance the gospel.”
As we were preparing to launch the Widows Forum, the Lord kept on reminding me 2 Timothy 2 vs 2: “The things that you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses teach to reliable man who will in turn teach others.”
Two critical points: reliable man(widow)and the intention to teach/disciple/mentor/pour out to others. I was then reminded of 2 Corinthians 1 vs 3 and 4, “Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any troubles with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.’’ God empowers us to become His witness-(Acts 1;8.)