What’s next?!
So where or how do you go from
being married, to being a widow, to what is next in my life. What is your new
role in life now that you are widowed? That is a huge question when one
has had their lives planned out for what seemed like forever. For many of you there are still a ton of
emotions which you are going through. For others, you are beginning
to think now what? For others, you may be stepping forward to a new
stage of your life to helping others. For others, you may be dating.
And for others, they have remarried.
Now that the holidays
are behind us, now what? This can be a loaded question for sure!
Ever feel that way? The holidays can be an emotional roller
coaster. Rest assured, the roller coaster ride does even out and life does become a
new normal without as many highs and lows. The journey may be different and you may realize that
it’s time to figure out what it is next for you.
Even though we are all
at different stages of this journey, life is living all around
us. As you reevaluate your life since your loss, what can you
reflect on that is positive? What are your
interests? What are your gifts? What tugs at your heart
that you like to do? Perhaps you love to work with children,
volunteer for a local charity, help with those who have disabilities, perhaps you
have a compassion for those walking the journey you have been walking down.
Are you ready to turn
your hurting into hope? John 14:27 reads: Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give to you. God promises to give
us peace through our hurting. I totally understand that this
journey is a process. Are you ready to go down the journey with
hope?
I remember struggling
with what was next for me….. Within a couple of years after Dan
died, our kids headed off to start their lives, one going off to start his
career, one off to the Army and the last off to college. For me, it
wasn’t until I had an empty nest that I truly began to think about what was
next for me. I will admit it took me a long time to figure it
out. I was still working and had that to keep me going.
Pretty soon my kids were
getting married and had children to help with putting some fun with traveling
along the way. Oh I still do some traveling but now that I’m
retired, I have found helping others with this journey is rewarding for me.
If you are ready,
consider what may work for you and perhaps help others. Perhaps sending a
note or email to someone who is hurting or a note of thanks for a kind gesture
or note you received from someone. Sometimes it helps during our
process to give thanks but it’s not always easy. If you are not at that
stage yet, it is perfectly understandable.
I can totally relate to
your loss. There are days when you are thinking, I just wish he was
here with me to go out to dinner with or a movie. The hope we have
in Christ is we will see our husbands again. Again – the hope
we have in Christ.
Many of you have found
what you love doing in helping others. Others are not ready for that
yet. Some of you will continue doing what you are doing as you are
exactly where you are supposed to be.
Wherever you are in your journey, I pray you find peace in your
journey
