DON’T BE AFRAID
TO TALK ABOUT HIM.
It’s a common theme in our conversations with the widows we serve; “No one talks about my husband anymore.”
Often, this comes from a good place. Friends and family don’t want to make a widow sad, so they don’t initiate conversations about the person they’ve lost.
Widows don’t want to forget their partner existed. But they also don’t want to feel completely responsible for his memory. Talking about him, sharing your memories, and asking to hear their stories helps a widow process the happy times as well as the difficult.
Jacquelyn was never one to sit on the sidelines. She learned about Stand in the Gap for Widows and knew she had found the way to be in ministry in her church. With her pastor’s support, she began a small group for widows. The group of ladies understood each other in a way that few others did. They talked about their husbands, telling each other stories that family members had long tired of hearing. They talked about their struggles with their newfound roles as only parents or primary caretakers of the house. The group went out to eat, planned day trips, and filled the social gaps in each other’s lives.
As Jacquelyn tells it, there will always be a hole in her life, left by Ralph’s death. But thanks to Stand in the Gap for Widows, she has women who are filling the gaps in her life and creating a newfound purpose in living.
So what can you do for a widow?
Be a Jacquelyn.
Talk to your church leadership about bringing Stand in the Gap for Widows to your church. Then be willing to lead the charge, start the conversations, and listen to the stories.
