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I was sending a text to a friend whose husband was fighting a battle with cancer. I shared with her a piece of advice that had been given to me when my husband began his fight.

“Just do the next right thing.”

However, autocorrect changed it to “Just do the next eight things.” I shuddered to think what my friend would have thought of my advice had I not double-checked my text.

Isn’t it just like the Enemy to twist or change our words?

The Enemy wants to keep us busy, to cause us to walk in our own strength, thinking everything falls on us and it’s up to us to get it all done. He doesn’t want us to rest; he wants us exhausted and tired because then we may be too weary to praise and serve the Lord.

The advice that was given to me released me from thinking I had to do it all myself and taught me to take it one step at a time. I didn’t have to solve tomorrow’s problem today. It taught me to rely on my family, friends, and church family to help me with house cleaning, meals and appointments for Vic. This freed me to concentrate on my husband’s needs and spend valuable time with him.

If you are reading this and you were a caregiver, you understand the struggle.

But how does this relate to widows who were not caregivers, who lost their husbands with no warning, no red flags, or any kind of notice?

As widows, sometimes we struggle with allowing others to be a blessing to us.

We think we have to do it all. We forget we are to just do the next right thing. Not eight things; not even things of any quantity except one. As I learned to navigate widowhood, I once again found myself needing to do just the next right thing.

Sometimes it was to just get out of bed. Other times it was remembering to breathe. There were really hard days when I didn’t think I could do it anymore, and the next right thing was calling a friend to pray with me or to come, sit with me. And as I accomplished one thing, I could move onto the next right thing. After getting out of bed, it was getting ready for work. My whole day may have been spent that way, just moving from the next right thing to another. There were days when getting out of bed was all I could do. And that was okay.

Sometimes our responsibilities of a single-income home require us to work. Or, as a single parent of toddlers, tweens, and/or teens, in our effort to keep life normal, we take on everything, run in our own strength, and forget to do the most important next right thing.

Matthew 11:28 reminds us what that next right thing is.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

It was this rest that I longed to experience when I sought the Lord through rivers of tears, lots of questions and constant requests for comfort, guidance, strength, and peace. As I went to Him, He was there offering rest in every tear, every question, and every “I can’t do this, Lord.”

If you don’t do anything else today, do this next right thing:

Sit and talk with the Lord and let Him comfort you. Be real, be honest. He can handle it. Then let Him show you what the next right thing to do is.

In Isaiah 40:31 (NIV), it is written,

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.“

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) advises,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Trust in these promises and let these verses guide you as you do the next right thing, leaning on God’s strength rather than your own.

Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear how God is healing your heart.