- The Lord has encouraged me so much since my husband’s illness and death 15 month’s ago. For six months or longer I’ve been being nudged by requests to assist the growing number of widows in our church. I’ve investigated ways to do so but the effort seemed larger than I had the energy and time to accomplish. I confided my sense of the need but inadequacy to meet it alone to a church staff member who joyfully accepted the responsibility for the logistics of planning a luncheon for our church’s widows that was held yesterday. Our pastor’s wife, Lee Carter, a licensed mental health counselor and life coach, had just returned greatly encouraged from a trip to Colorado. She and I spoke to a group of 17 women yesterday about grief. She spoke about grief as an invitation to enter into a deeper relationship with Christ and experience the blessing of his comfort ( from “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”) I spoke about consolation and dealing with the discontent that arose after Bill’s death that motivated me to make some unexpected changes but provided such reassurance of God’s love and provision. The women lingered in discussion around the 5 tables. There were tears. There was also laughter, prayers, and a sense of sharing in encouraging one another. All agreed it was a healing time that should become a regular gathering. Three had come by invitation of others from beyond our church family. Sometimes the task of encouraging others is too much for one alone. But if we have others to help, the task results in others having the support they need to encourage others, too. Trickles and ripples….. the river flows from a trickle to ankle deep to knee deep to waist high until the flow is more than enough to transform wasteland into fertile ground for new
Lee’s comments on the comfort beatitude were lovely and she shared a testimony she’d heard in Colorado about someone who determined to make her grief a “beautiful grief” in honor of her loved one and to God’s glory.
We just several salads…. Chicken salad croissants, tuna salad and pimento cheese with crackers, fruit salad and pasta salad, lemonade and tea. All purchased at a local deli and put together in an hour and a half with nice sturdy denim colored plastic tablecloths on the serving table, chinet brand clear plastic plates, etc and a pot of orange mums in a turkey basket. We had little two sided pumpkin place cards with each person’s name on the tables so everyone would be encouraged to learn names and make connections. I had feedback handout pages and pens on the tables and we had a list of resources for the women. I put small bowls of mints and chocolates on each table and some fall colored mini purse packs of tissues. Our congregational care minister who has the gift of hospitality organized it all. I just showed up with my little things and my script and help her set the table. I have a pastor friend who calls the prayer, advance planning and preparation “heating the oil” to aid in administering an anointing by the Holy Spirit. Find a way to be a blessing as a servant for God’s blessing of comfort to those who suffer.