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In an exceedingly productive season of his life, while serving as vice president of Moody Broadcasting, treasurer of the National Religious Broadcasters, and a board member for HCJB (Heralding Christ Jesus' Blessings, an international broadcasting group), Bob fell. The inconvenience and pain of a dislocated shoulder began the journey from doctors to disease, all the while sorting through our theology, to face the bleak reality: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an untreatable, fatal disease, had gripped Bob's body.

Less than three years after that fall, Bob entered heaven willingly; I gave him up with more than reluctance. Our oneness was now ripped in two. My inarguably better half was gone and the gaping wound created by his exit had every nerve ending screaming—even though I was supposed to be numb.

While every widow's story is different, we all share the understanding of a loss that is final beyond description. Watching the gardener gently work the grass seed into the fresh dirt on my husband's grave set me apart forever from the life I once had.

Widows gain a fresh perspective on Scripture. In , I am reminded that no one can comfort a widow like another widow. In turn, we are moved deeply when we see another woman enter this experience, and we want to comfort her in her grief. With desperation we study the 103 Scripture passages referencing widows. And we find we are not invisible to God. With gratitude we discover that we are not only close to God's heart, but that he measures others by how they treat us (James 1:27). This is both a comforting and sobering insight. Widows, orphans, prisoners—the voiceless—God chooses to speak for us.

He instructs that our needs be met through the church's tithes if necessary (; ; ). He instructs that in our vulnerability we be given legal rights (). He commends one widow for her sacrificial giving (). He tells our story in his Word: the widow at Zarephath and her generosity (), the widow with her pot of oil, faith, and obedience ().

As I studied Scripture on widows, these themes emerged:

To the widow: Be generous regardless of the quantity of your possessions; no one's "stuff" is their own anyway. Be filled with faith: you can't help but be when you see how special you are to your Creator and new Husband.

To the church: The significance of your church is not in its numbers, but that its priorities match God's. The character of your leaders is not measured by their popularity or power, but by their attention and care for the powerless and voiceless among them.

Taking care of widows can be complex for several reasons. Churches today are varied in size and resources, and the experiences and needs of widows also vary widely. There is no model of service for all to follow, though the early church clearly made it a priority by appointing church leaders to oversee the care of widows (). I would also recommend that leadership groups related to widows' ministry have a leading member who is a widow. Without such a leader, churches' decisions on how to serve us often miss the mark.

While the needs for financial support and help with our homes' upkeep are common, the need for connection is most pressing. Often, personal connections with the church are broken upon becoming a widow. This time is the widow's most painful, lonely, and vulnerable part of her journey, a time when she needs believing friends near her.

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January 2008, Vol. 52, No. 1