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The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18 (ESV)

The other night I visited a women’s Bible study at a homeless shelter where the majority were struggling with drug addiction, poverty, sexual abuse, guilt from abortions, etc… As I sat in my chair, humbled by the testimony of one woman, I was reminded of the nasty face of grief. It was the reality we all shared no matter which side of the tracks we came from.

Grief is no respecter of persons.

I wasn’t homeless or a drug addict and yet I felt a strong connection with these ladies. I heard the brokenness of this one woman’s voice as she told a tale all too familiar-one of heartache and loneliness. Yet in that room, I felt the Lord near to us, the broken-hearted.

Losing my husband in 2015 and my baby girl in 2017 both left me broken and wondering if I would ever heal. The thought of facing life alone without my husband terrified me. I remember spending the first year crying every night after I put the kids to bed.

I was powerless to recover.

My faith was shaken to the core. My anger towards God for not intervening in my dark situation was real. You see, I just couldn’t understand why my God would take my husband away so young!

As a widow, there were plenty of times I struggled to pick up the pieces of my heart. I had a deep void that needed to be filled, but had no idea how to fill it! I was still a mom, friend, sister and daughter, but never felt so alone in my life. Doing daily household tasks that were once my husbands was so overwhelming! I too hit rock bottom just like these women in the shelter that night.

Grief broke me, but God found me.

In the Lord’s grace, He wooed me back to Himself. He took my anger that once fueled my decisions and relationships and healed my broken heart. His love for me shown on the cross saved me from my grief. He gave me the reason to live-HIM.

When Christ rescues us, there is HOPE.

I have a tendency to throw a pity party for myself and forget what He’s done for me in the midst of my grief. The courage of that one woman’s testimony reminded me to keep telling His story of restoration in my life, especially to myself!

My life is NOT in vain. He can use my broken life to minister to others.

Dear Lord, remind us of who You are and what You have done in our lives. Give us the strength to minister to other grieving women in our paths. Be near to our shattered hearts and fill us with your love in our times of overwhelming grief. Amen