A Sunday's Widows Woes

  One of the hardest days of the week for me as a widow has been Sunday.  Now, I love the beginning of the day, when I get the opportunity to gather with other believers and worship Jesus.  It’s what happens after church that I never like.  I go home to an empty house, and most often spend the afternoon alone.  Now, in reality, it’s no different than any other day of the week, when I’m all alone.  But the loneliness on Sunday seems lonelier. If that that’s really possible.  Maybe it’s the memories of spending Sunday afternoons and evenings with the kids and hubby, that make it worse.  

     I often call my kids to see how their week has been, which probably drives them nuts.  I really am interested in their lives, and want to know how they’ve been, and what wonderful happening are going on in their lives.  But sometimes the call is just loneliness on my part, and I want to hear another voice.  Their lives on the other hand are anything but lonely, as they are busy with their own families and jobs.  

   Sometimes I try to fill my Sunday afternoon and evening with a ‘project’ of some kind, or some activity.  But well too often for me, it’s done alone again.  Kayaking, hiking, a yard project, some art endeavor, cleaning (that’s when I run out of fun stuff to do). 

    It’s hard sometimes, but important to do, and that’s put the Word of God into action.  “This is the day that the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Is true and needs to be acted on, even if you’re lonely and all alone.  Notice, it does say to rejoice in it.  Rejoice in what?  Rejoice in the day.  Even if it’s a lonely Sunday afternoon.  Rejoice!  Not for the loneliness, but rejoice that you have this day to be alive, and a loving Lord to be there with you.  Joy is not happiness.  Joy is something way deeper.  It’s something that within you because of Jesus, not your circumstances around you.  So even in the worst of days, you can still rejoice.  Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, “Rejoice!” 

So What is Unfolding Grace Ministry?

 

Unfolding Grace Ministry aka Kelley Reuer

Whether pastoring Alive Christian Fellowship, leading worship, hosting a Women's Retreat, preforming comedy skits and songs, or ministering to widows, writing or being a freelance photographer, Kelley does it with all her heart.  She's learned God is always walking with her through all stages and happenings in life, whether good or bad.  This blog is to share some of that journey with you.  

When Jesus Failed an Algebra Problem

     I remember those days of Algebra class in High School, with those awful word problems.  I was never good at them, I know they were suppose to be preparing me for real life scenarios  but I struggled to ever get them right.  I think Jesus did too.  He was presented this problem.  Five thousand men, plus women and children are hungry and have no food.  All that is available to feed them is five loaves of bread and two fish.  How many people can be fed? (Story found in Matthew14:15-21)

    Well, if you stretched it out maybe a handful could get a fish sandwich, and a few people could just have a slice of bread.  But Jesus takes it and gives thanks for it, and then breaks it.  He broke more than the bread.  He broke mathematical logic and patterns. His answer was; five loaves and two fish can feed five thousand men plus the women and children (lets say a few thousand more) plus have leftovers of twelve baskets full.    On the Algebra test, he would have gotten it wrong, but in real life, he got it right.  God is always the God of enough and extra.  In 

II Corinthians 9:8 (CEV) it says, "God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others." 

    The test giver must have felt Jesus needed a second try at this mathematical problem, because a short time later (Matthew 15:32-39) a little bit smaller crowd needed to be fed. This time there was four thousand men plus the women and children and they had a little bit more food to serve.  They had seven loaves of bread a few fish.  How many can it feed?  Again Jesus broke the rules, and it fed everyone, and all were satisfied and had their fill.  I've known a few people in life, that it takes more than a small piece of bread to have their appetite satisfied.  I'm sure there was a few in this crowd.  But they  were all satisfied, they all had enough, and they even had seven large baskets full of left overs.

  God is not El Cheapo, or El Stingy.  He is the God that is more than enough, in Hebrew  El Shaddai.  He's the God of enough and extra.  

    

So How Was Your Day

 “So how was your day?” Is a common question asked between spouses  as they gather back home, after their day of work, and living.    The real communicative types give you the complete run down, minute by minute of the day, well others reply with a ‘fine.’   

    But for the widow living alone, she no longer has anyone to ask, ‘so how was your day?’  She longs to connect with someone, some living breathing body, just so she can tell them about her day. Nothing earth shattering, she might only tell them about the routine things she did through out the day.  But she still longs to tell.  Why?  Because she misses belonging, she misses being reassured that what she does is important to someone else.  

    She reaches for the phone and calls a friend, or maybe one of the kids, who just kind of like roll their eyes at her trivial chatter on the other end.  Nothing earth moving, just, she went to the store, she did laundry, etc, but what she’s really saying is, “I’m still living.  I’m still here, tell me I’m significant to you.”  She’s lost the one that made her feel special, important, one of a kind.   She’s wanting to still belong.

    Is she wrong in these feelings?  No.  We’re all made to belong and be part of each other’s lives.  She had that, and now it’s gone, and she struggles to know how to adjust.    

   So reach out to the widows around you, even if they’ve been a widow for a long time, as well as those who just became one.  They need to know they’re still valuable, even though their spouse is gone.  They search for significance , and are traveling down a road they’ve never been on before.  It’s a really tough, lonely road too.  So be kind.  And if you’re married, and your spouse asks you how was your day, be grateful you have someone that’s asking.  You’re both important.