Announcing my new book entitled God’s Comfort in Grief: Meditations for the Newly Widowed. I celebrate the launch of my book even as I commemorate the twenty-year sadiversary of my husband Lee’s death. My grief relief came from the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). For that, I am so thankful—and motivated to share God’s grief relief in my speaking and writing.

This is the book I needed after Lee died. Early on, I cried through my days and didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with life. The trauma of performing CPR on my husband and seeing him die before my eyes impacted everything. My basic life skills, and of course my executive functioning skills, disappeared. Simple tasks, like combing my hair and feeding my children, overwhelmed my incapacitated brain. In those first weeks and months after Lee died, my mind could not focus. I wanted a short easy-to-read book that prioritized God’s comfort while giving me grieving help and practical advice.

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. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV

So I have finally published the book that I needed back in that newly widowed phase of my life. My memoirs tell the story (My River of Sorrow: A Widow’s Journey with God and Memorial Stones: Reflections from My River of Sorrow), but this new book describes early widowed grief and focuses on God’s promises. Each short chapter includes a Bible verse for comfort, an anecdote for connection, and grief-processing ideas for consideration.

When I write sympathy cards, I include encouraging Bible verses and grief processing concepts. For widows or widowers, I include a letter from my blogpost (Note: the blogpost content is relevant for any widowed person, although I use the term widow instead of widow/widower). Now, I can communicate that content—and much more—by gifting this small book. My hope is for grieving people to draw closer to the God of all comfort as they adjust to widowhood.

My Prayer

Lord God, you know exactly how to comfort widows and widowers, just like you uniquely comforted me. Oh Jesus, speak your truth and redemption into the lives of all who seek you in their grief. Help them process their sorrow and individual challenges as they grieve. Father God, pour your compassion and comfort into grieving hearts in miraculous ways, as only you can.

Dear Lord, twenty years ago, you picked up this distraught widow from her puddle of tears. Your love and comfort changed me into a functioning single parent. Through the years, you have rebuilt my life and given me a future I never imagined. Thank you, Lord, that I feel more nostalgia about Lee and gratitude to you rather than pain at this sadiversary. Only a mighty healing God like you can accomplish that miracle, and I am grateful. Please keep working miraculous grief relief in people’s lives, just like you have done for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.