Dear E,
This year I didn’t send you a sympathy card for the five year sadiversary of your husband’s death. I know you are all too aware of this date and your searing loss, but this is what I pray for you today.
I. Remember
Remember where you started five years ago today and what God did for you at that moment. Think back to that horrific day, when you saw T’s lifeless body and had to say goodbye. Ask yourself, where was God in the middle of that trauma? May God remind you of how He held you up. And that He gave you strength to absorb the truth and tell your four precious children. As you have learned, the mental journey backward is painful, but a necessary part of grief processing.
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “LORD, save me!” Psalm 116:1-4
II. Recognize
Recognize God’s comfort in your life, from that first shocking moment until today. Time and time again, God has met your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. May you see His hand on your life, as well as on your children’s lives. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly reminded the Israelites of how He had helped them. Similarly, may He help you recognize His interventions, comfort, and provision for you and your children these past five years.
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 116:5-9
III. Refresh
I am asking God to refresh you. Only He can comfort, heal, and refresh you in the way that you need. He created you and knows exactly how to encourage and guide you into your future. May the love of Jesus wrap you in His comfort and protection as you keep on living.
What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants. Truly I am your servant, LORD; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. Psalm 116:12-17
Hugs to you, dear E. We are friends who never would have met, if not for our experiences of grief and widowhood. I will never tell you to get over it or move on. Instead, I will keep praying and pointing you to Jesus, who loves you even more than T did. And that is a lot.
Leave a Reply