Widows

Why It Matters:

      • The average age of widowhood in the United States is 55 years.
      • A third of women who become widowed are younger than age 60, and half of all women who will become widowed become so by age 65.
      • From the 2000 U.S. Census: Nearly half of the women in the United States – ages 65 years and older – are widowed.
        • Information from Forbes Magazine – November 2013

What God Says:

      • Isaiah 1:16-17‬ ‭- “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.  Stop doing evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor, Obtain justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow’s case.”
      • Proverbs 31:8-9– “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” 
      • Psalm 68:5– “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”
      • Psalms 146:9  “The Lord protects the foreigners among us.  He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.”
      • Deuteronomy 10:18 “The Lord defends the rights of orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing.”
      • James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Take Action:

Relevant Organizations:

      • Heaven’s Family– A nonprofit organization helping families address the brokenness such as widow poverty.
      • Widow Link– was created to empower widows to continue their lives with purpose and connect them with others who are traveling this road. Their mission to connect and empower widows, which is very important to God.
      • Widow Might– To help widows connect so they may live, heal, grow and, in time, thrive.
      • Walking Forward– is a communication and information website for widows. 
      • Grief Share– is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone.

Resource Links:

      • Free Devotional– Wes Wick provides a free devotional called Half Two: A Quest for a God Honored Encore.
      • Angi– helps you find a handiman for all your home repairs.

Prayers:

Testimonies:

Books:

      • Widows Book List Recommendations–  This is a list of book recommendations for widows who need healing and growth.
      • From One Widow to Another-Miriam Neff understands the  struggles of being a widow.  She recognized the need for women to hear from others about their experiences and what can help them transition to this new stage of life.
      • Hope Heals– Hope Heals is a keepsake journal created for teenagers and adults who have lost a loved one. This journal was created out of an appreciation and understanding of how difficult and life changing it is to experience the death of a loved one.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, What? You too!  I thought I was the only one.”  CS Lewis