Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing your heart so honestly. Your sorrow has been heard, and we have been praying for you as you carry this heavy burden of grief after losing your husband.
Losing a husband leaves a deep wound, and it is understandable that you feel broken and without strength to get out of bed. The Scriptures speak tenderly to those in your place, calling God the Father of the fatherless and the defender of widows, and describing the widow who is desolate yet trusts in God as one who is held close by Him. Your tears are not unseen. God promises that He is near to the brokenhearted and that He collects our tears. Your grief is not a sign that you have been forgotten, and mourning itself can become a path where patience and trust in the Lord are formed, even while the pain is very real.
When you say you wish it had been you who passed away because it is all too much and too painful, we hear how heavy this has become. Please know your life is precious to God and to your daughter and to those who love you. Grief can make the days feel unbearable, and it is important not to carry these thoughts alone. Please reach out right away to a trusted pastor, a counselor, a doctor, or a family member, and if you ever feel you might act on thoughts of not wanting to live, please seek help immediately from someone near you or a crisis helpline in your area. You do not have to face this darkness by yourself, and God desires to give you comfort and strength for each day.
We also hear your specific worries and we are bringing each one before the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom you have rightly been praying.
For your arms hurt on the electric scooter, we pray for healing and protection from infection and for the care you need. Please have a doctor look at them promptly if you have not already, to clean and treat them properly, and continue to follow medical advice so healing can come.
For your teeth that have shifted from grinding in your sleep and the nightmares where you cannot reach your husband, we pray for peace in the night and for relief from that distress. Grinding is common in seasons of great stress and grief, and a dentist can help check your teeth and may suggest a night guard or other care. It may also help to speak with a counselor or pastor about the nightmares and the trauma of loss, and to establish a calm bedtime pattern with prayer and Scripture.
For your housing situation, we understand why leaving the house where your husband passed away feels so painful, as if you would be leaving him alone. If your husband trusted in Jesus Christ, he is not left alone in that house, but is with the Lord, and nothing about moving will leave him abandoned. Still, the attachment to that place is natural, and we pray that God will provide clearly for you and your daughter, whether that means being able to stay until the end of the year as you hope, or opening another safe and peaceful place if you must move. Ask God for wisdom for each practical step and seek counsel from your family and church about the decisions ahead.
In this season, we encourage you to take up the medicines God has given for the soul. Keep the New Testament, the Psalms, and the Gospels near you each day. When grief comes, open them as you would open a chest of medicines and take comfort from them. Even a few verses at a time, read slowly and prayed back to God, can bring light. The Psalms in particular give words for sorrow, and the Gospels show the compassion of Jesus who wept with those who mourn and who promises rest to those who are weary and heavy laden.
We are praying for you now that the Lord Jesus will comfort your heart, calm your worries, heal your body, guard your sleep, and provide for your home. May He give you strength to rise each day, peace that goes beyond understanding, and the support of loving people around you who can walk with you through this valley. Please continue to share with your church family and let them help bear this burden with you.
You are not alone. God sees you, He hears your prayers through Jesus Christ, and He is able to carry you day by day.
Losing a husband leaves a deep wound, and it is understandable that you feel broken and without strength to get out of bed. The Scriptures speak tenderly to those in your place, calling God the Father of the fatherless and the defender of widows, and describing the widow who is desolate yet trusts in God as one who is held close by Him. Your tears are not unseen. God promises that He is near to the brokenhearted and that He collects our tears. Your grief is not a sign that you have been forgotten, and mourning itself can become a path where patience and trust in the Lord are formed, even while the pain is very real.
When you say you wish it had been you who passed away because it is all too much and too painful, we hear how heavy this has become. Please know your life is precious to God and to your daughter and to those who love you. Grief can make the days feel unbearable, and it is important not to carry these thoughts alone. Please reach out right away to a trusted pastor, a counselor, a doctor, or a family member, and if you ever feel you might act on thoughts of not wanting to live, please seek help immediately from someone near you or a crisis helpline in your area. You do not have to face this darkness by yourself, and God desires to give you comfort and strength for each day.
We also hear your specific worries and we are bringing each one before the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom you have rightly been praying.
For your arms hurt on the electric scooter, we pray for healing and protection from infection and for the care you need. Please have a doctor look at them promptly if you have not already, to clean and treat them properly, and continue to follow medical advice so healing can come.
For your teeth that have shifted from grinding in your sleep and the nightmares where you cannot reach your husband, we pray for peace in the night and for relief from that distress. Grinding is common in seasons of great stress and grief, and a dentist can help check your teeth and may suggest a night guard or other care. It may also help to speak with a counselor or pastor about the nightmares and the trauma of loss, and to establish a calm bedtime pattern with prayer and Scripture.
For your housing situation, we understand why leaving the house where your husband passed away feels so painful, as if you would be leaving him alone. If your husband trusted in Jesus Christ, he is not left alone in that house, but is with the Lord, and nothing about moving will leave him abandoned. Still, the attachment to that place is natural, and we pray that God will provide clearly for you and your daughter, whether that means being able to stay until the end of the year as you hope, or opening another safe and peaceful place if you must move. Ask God for wisdom for each practical step and seek counsel from your family and church about the decisions ahead.
In this season, we encourage you to take up the medicines God has given for the soul. Keep the New Testament, the Psalms, and the Gospels near you each day. When grief comes, open them as you would open a chest of medicines and take comfort from them. Even a few verses at a time, read slowly and prayed back to God, can bring light. The Psalms in particular give words for sorrow, and the Gospels show the compassion of Jesus who wept with those who mourn and who promises rest to those who are weary and heavy laden.
We are praying for you now that the Lord Jesus will comfort your heart, calm your worries, heal your body, guard your sleep, and provide for your home. May He give you strength to rise each day, peace that goes beyond understanding, and the support of loving people around you who can walk with you through this valley. Please continue to share with your church family and let them help bear this burden with you.
You are not alone. God sees you, He hears your prayers through Jesus Christ, and He is able to carry you day by day.
