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Widow was a qualification I never wanted…

Have you experienced a true sense of community since becoming a widow?Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…I remember heading to my first AWM Widow’s Conference in 2022 and crying for nearly half of the 3-hour drive there because I didn’t want to qualify to attend a widow’s conference.

I was tired of waking up, going to bed, and everything in between without Norm,

• my love,
• my partner,
• my leader,
• my lover,
• Daddy to our children
• my best friend and confidant…

and yet I knew I needed to be around those who understood on a deeper level the crushing weight my heart was feeling, the blanket of fog my mind was experiencing, and the extreme exhaustion my body was going through.

Even more importantly, I wanted to see others further along this path of widowhood, who were discovering joy amidst their pain. I knew their hearts still ached, but I wanted to see that the journey wouldn’t always feel THIS HARD. And I needed to hear testimonies of God’s goodness from those whose lives, like mine, had been turned completely upside down.

When I finally arrived at the conference and got settled at my table, I took a deep breath and looked around.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…And in that moment I felt such a sense of community.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…I knew that every eye that met mine, every lady that filled a seat or stood up front, every single person in that room could relate to me and my grief on such a deep level without a single word even being spoken.

That is the essence of community—a profound understanding and fellowship born from shared experiences.

“It is not good that the man should be alone…”
Gen 2:18 (ESV)

Our Father created us for community.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…Even when Adam was in the garden, walking with God daily, God still said it was not good for Adam to be alone. So God created Eve.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…He did not design us to be alone, we need each other and we need community.

As I spent that Tuesday – Thursday in 2022 together with other widows, hearing their stories, sharing my story, being encouraged and strengthened, and building each other up in our faith, I experienced such a sweet sense of community and fellowship.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…And for the first time in my life I realized just how impactful true community can be.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…This path is a bit more manageable because of community.

Romans 1:9-12 ESV

In Romans 1 Paul talked about longing for community. In verse 9 he says,

“….that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, bothNobody Wants to Qualify For This…yours and mine.”

I just attended my third AWM conference last week and the sense of community experienced at conference is incredible.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…The encouragement gained, the community and fellowship created, and the heart connections forged are worth every tear cried leading up to it.

What are some ways that you have experienced community and how has it impacted your life as a widow?

Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that You have given us the gift of community. And we thank You for creating us for fellowship.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…I pray that we will each experience true community and fellowship. Additionally I pray that we also take the opportunities You give us to help create community for others.Nobody Wants to Qualify For This…In Jesus’ name, Amen