Last weekend, I was privileged to be part of the teaching team for aNew Season Ministries‘ first widow’s conference. I spent an incredible few days in Myrtle Beach, SC  with nine other amazing widows on my team and nearly 60 other women who attended this first conference from all over the nation (and one from Bermuda!).

You might be wondering why I still involve myself with widows when I’m happily remarried and heavily involved in adopting 2-3 children from Eastern Europe right now. The short answer? Because God said so! In all honesty, there are two main reasons that I LOVE widows and want to continue to serve in this way:

1) I will NEVER forget what it was like to walk Grief Road as a young widow. There is a huge need for resources for widows in many facets of life, and if I can be used to share part of my own grief journey and how God healed me mightily…I intend to do so!

2) Orphans AND widows are near and dear to God’s heart. It’s ALL OVER scripture, but simply start here…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.

This conference allowed me to serve from both aspects – my own personal experience as a widow and from God’s mandate to look after widows (this just happens to be one way He has me doing so).

Many of these ladies were…

Crushed, yet bonded together in sisterly love.

Broken, yet able to stand, no matter how shattered, and offer praise to the Author and Perfecter of life.

Saddened, yet full of hope for eternal life with God the Father.

Devastated, yet trusting Him for healing in His perfect timing.

Thankful to be together – to share with other women that have experienced the loss of a husband.

It was such a joy to see hearts mended, lives restored, and friendships created! I can’t wait to see how God continues to use me to minister to His widow daughters again soon!