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I'm living the new normal! No one said that life was easy, and honestly, this journey without my husband is anything but easy! However, Christ encourages us with these words:
John 16:33 – I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (NLT)
As I travel this road alone, yet not alone, I give thanks for so much! I thank God for who He is: almighty, powerful, creative, in control, perfect, all-knowing, caring, and above all, loving! He loves each one of us and knows us by name! However, it is up to each of us to respond to Him by accepting His great love — as demonstrated so vividly in the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of His one and only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ — and then by showing His love to others.
There is no answer to why things happen how or when they do, but there is comfort in trusting that God sees the whole picture, knows best, doesn't make mistakes, and doesn't leave us. In John 14:16, Jesus assures us that the Father will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say:
John 14:27 – I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. (NLT)
When those troubling thoughts creep into our minds, we need to remember to trust the One who is trustworthy and cannot lie!
Yes, during a grief journey, we often feel quite alone, and yet, we have a promise from God that we are not left drifting alone on the sometimes calm or other times raging sea of life. He declares:
Isaiah 43:2a,4b-5a – When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! You are precious to me and honored, and I love you. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. (TLB)
As usually happens with me, various songs trickle into my mind and buoy me up, causing me to google and listen to them, praising God from the depths of my heart. What a mighty God we serve, Our God is an awesome God, and Thou art worthy fill me with praise and adoration of our heavenly Father who alone is worthy.
I believe that Jesus wants to lead us to the point where we have such confidence in God, our heavenly Father, that no matter our circumstances, we do not fear, but implicitly trust the One who alone is trustworthy: Trust and obey!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, and therefore, It is well with my soul!
We need to ask ourselves if we are following Jesus' example of not worrying but living each day trusting Him, because He is with each of us, loving, caring, encouraging, and guiding us as we take each new step. We may be alone, and yet, we are not alone!
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we come before You, acknowledging our sin of worrying. We ask You to forgive us and fill us with Your love so that as we face the trials and sorrows here on this earth, we might not fear but look to You, knowing that You are with each one of us and loving us. In Jesus' precious and powerful name, we pray. Amen.
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Well said thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing these comforting words, Mary Lou.
Strong words. Encouraging words. Strong woman who wrote them.
I understand…and God is faithful…and you are definitely not alone.
Thanks, Mary Lou. I understand your journey, having lost my husband 3 years ago.
Thank you for writing this devotion. I’m sure it will speak to many hurting hearts this day. Peace and blessings to you.
Thank you for your encouragement. I pray you be as blessed by the sharing of this devotion as many have been reading it.
Thank you, Mary Lou. We lost our mother recently and it is very difficult especially for my dad. Your words are really comforting. God bless you!
Beautifully and thoughtfully written devotional, Mary Lou. Thank you.
(Texas)
Thank you, Mary Lou, for this inspiring message.
Keep up the faith,
(Quebec)
Love your devotion this morning. Words I needed to hear!! Thanks so much
and wishing you God’s blessings.
(Ont)
Good advice!
Often the spirit t will guide us or even comfort the person directly in some way. I have experienced the latter.
Well said Mary Lou. May the Lord continue to uplift and heal your heart moment by moment amidst this time of deep sorrow.
Blessings.
Dear Mary Lou,
Thank you for sharing honestly and using the Word to show us we are not alone, and God is with us in the good times and the more difficult times. May you feel at peace in your mind and heart.
Thank you, Mary Lou, for this devotional. Yes, we widows are never alone, and the comfort we receive knowing this keeps us buoyant.
Blessings to you and yours.
(Ontario)
Dear Mary Lou Tompkins:
Thank you so much for your wonderful Devotional today.
It provided great relief and comfort for me as an 84-year-old man who lost his better half last year after over 50 years of married bliss.
Blessings.
Dear Mary Lou,
Your devotional this morning is God sent.
We lost a young woman last night because of an asthma attack.
Your encouraging words are helpful as were Martin’s yesterday.
Thank you, Lord, for all people involved in this service.
We met several years ago and I remember appreciating you and your husband. I am very sorry to learn that he has gone on ahead of you. Thanks for the devotional, and the comfort the Word is to you as it is to me also, though I have not any such losses. May the Lord keep blessing you and making you a blessing to others.
Greetings.
Hi Mary Lou:
I appreciated your devotional. I have lost two husbands – one by cancer and the second by disease. In the latter case, we had only been married several months. I know what it is like to ask “Why?” but also like you, I know that Jesus is with me, and knows what is best.
May God bless you and continue to stand with you in all the hard times.
Thank you, Mary. I read you perfectly as I fall into the same category as you.
I have learnt that He is my all in all. Being a musician, all the choruses you mentioned flood my soul at various times.
May our Lord bless us as we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word.
God bless.
(Sri Lanka)
Hello Mary,
Thank you for writing. Yes, it is difficult to face some trials we must go through and my sympathies to you as you deal with the loss of your husband. I too have faced that situation but am so grateful for the Lord’s love, care and guidance each day. He is ever present with us each day to help us go forward until the day we can be reunited with our loved ones.
Blessings to you for sharing this devotional.
(B.C.)
Dear Maru Lou:
Thanks for your devotional! It made me consider anew the difficult situation we are now experiencing in Chile, my country: if God is in control, we have nothing to fear. I prayed for you, that your journey may be filled with the blessed assurance of the Lord’s presence and guidance in your life. Yes! we are NEVER alone, and the time of glorious reunion with our loved ones in the Communion of Saints is as certain as the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory be to God!
In Christ
(Chile)
Thank you, Ms. Tompkins, for today’s devotional, I found it to be very encouraging.
God often will put certain songs or hymns into my mind too that really speak to me at that particular time. He is faithful all the time, praise His name!
It’s only been fairly recent that I finally understand God’s sovereignty, and wow, how that changes my habit to worry about almost everything! Because now I KNOW that everything that happens in my life has had to come from His hand, ultimately!
Thank you for sharing your experience with total honesty. That is so refreshing.
May God continue to bless you as you trust Him without question.
Mary Lou, from one widow to another, hugs and prayers. For many years, my Saviour has been my “husband” and constant source of strength. Yes! He is able, especially when we feel as if we’re never going to be able to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Blessings.
Good morning Mary Lou,
Good devotional. I like some of the hymns you cited, ‘Trust and obey, It is well with my soul, Because He lives.’ One of the ladies in my Bible class at the local Long Term Care Centre, now departed, said to me quite often, “If it wasn’t for God I would not be able to carry on.”
I wish you all the best during these for your difficult days, I’m sure.
Blessings.