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Praise to the God of All Comfort

Praise be to the 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 trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

As if becoming a widow wasn’t hard enough…

Immediately, we are thrust into a world of hard things.

Before my husband Steve’s memorial service, a representative from the large company he had worked for for 40 years called and informed me that I needed to send them proof that I was indeed married to him.

Call after call began to come in with things I needed to do since he had died.

Every day seemed to bring another hard thing.

During those early days, I didn’t yet realize that God would faithfully meet me in each new challenge, just as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3–4.

I am a widow, but I am not an expert on widowhood!

It is as personal as our own individual love stories.

But I can honestly say that I have not found ANYTHING about widowhood to be easy!

• When do we move his things from our closet?
• Do we continue to wear our wedding rings or take them off?
• Would we consider marrying again, or is that something we don’t think we could ever do?

Do any of these things sound like something you have faced?

Even years later, the hard doesn’t completely disappear. Sometimes it arrives in places we least expect—including a wedding invitation.

I have ALWAYS loved weddings! To watch the face of that groom – all the love showing on his face as he watches his bride make her way down that aisle to him.

Listening as the vows are repeated before the Lord, family, and friends. I have always cried at weddings.

There have been four weddings in our family this summer—our grandson’s just this past weekend.

Oh, how my heart missed Steve and wished he were sitting beside me as we watched Austin marry his best friend, Charissa.

I prayed before their wedding started and asked friends to pray for me as I traveled to be there, knowing it would be hard without Steve.

Even after ten years, there are times when it just feels too hard.

And my heart will still cry out…

Lord, are You there?

In that moment, the Lord reminded me of Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.

As the wedding began, I realized I wasn’t carrying my grief alone as I felt the Holy Spirit’s presence – just as I had the day I married Steve.

As the pastor asked us all to stand in honor of the bride, the song “Goodness of God” began to play. Oh, how I love that song – what a beautiful reminder of God’s love for us and His faithfulness.

We watched the beautiful bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle to their places, showing their love and support for their friends marrying that day.

As the song ended and it grew so quiet, in beautiful anticipation of the bride coming to her groom, the familiar words of MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine” began to play.

And as we listened to those beautiful lyrics, Charissa came through those doors to walk to the man, our wonderful grandson, who in minutes would become her husband.

And my heart was truly overwhelmed by the goodness of our God.

With gratitude, I thanked Him again for the day I walked down an aisle to Steve.

Our Father God is an ever-present Father. He has helped us through hard things in every season, especially this one of widowhood.

Sometimes, widowhood feels like a season of dormancy, where no growth or life seems to exist, or any hope for our tomorrows.

And then, God will grow a flower in a rock.

As I sat there in that beautiful chapel, grieving what I was missing, God reminded me of the beautiful, single flower growing from the rock on our land. He didn’t just leave the flower hidden. Because of His love for me, He led me to that flower, His message very clear–His promises are true and will never fail. Even in difficult and rocky places.

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

Just as Paul wrote, God comforts us in all our troubles. That comfort doesn’t always remove the hard, but it reminds us we never walk through it alone.

As I cried out that day to the Lord, asking Him if He was there, He reminded me that He is my strength and shield; I can trust Him, and HE IS ALWAYS THERE.

Dear Father God, when we find ourselves in the hardest of places, may we let Your Holy Spirit sit closely with us and find our hearts beginning to leap for joy with our songs in praise to Your precious and Holy name. Thank you, Lord, God, that we never walk the hard places alone. Amen