Widow's Journey

05/06/2026

Invisible Women, Invisible Problems

Towards Progress for Widows

The United Nations observes 23 June as International Widows Day (resolution A/RES/65/189) since 2011, to draw attention to the voices and experiences of widows and to galvanize the unique support that they need.

Now more than ever, this day is an opportunity for action towards achieving full rights and recognition for widows. This includes providing them with information on access to a fair share of their inheritance, land and productive resources; pensions and social protection that are not based on marital status alone; decent work and equal pay; and education and training opportunities. Empowering widows to support themselves and their families also means addressing social stigmas that create exclusion, and discriminatory or harmful practices.

Furthermore, Governments should take action to uphold their commitments to ensure the rights of widows as enshrined in international law, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Even when national laws exist to protect the rights of widows, weaknesses in the judicial systems of many States compromise how widows’ rights are defended in practice and should be addressed. Lack of awareness and discrimination by judicial officials can cause widows to avoid turning to the justice system to seek reparations.

Programmes and policies for ending violence against widows and their children, poverty alleviation, education and other support to widows of all ages also need to be undertaken, including in the context of action plans to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In post-conflict situations, widows should be brought in to participate fully in peacebuilding and reconciliation processes to ensure that they contribute to sustainable peace and security.

United Nations
United Nations’ Women’s Empowerment Principles

13/05/2026

Taking Jesus With You

God does not rain down healing or comfort from “on high.” Instead, He comes to be with us.

While it’s vital that you reach out and accept support from others on your journey through grief, pain is perhaps the loneliest thing in the world. No human being can fully “go there” with you.

But Jesus can. He’s the only One who truly can. And He wants to.

While here on earth, Jesus wept with those who mourned, such as Mary and Martha, whose brother Lazarus had died.

Jesus is not simply up in heaven doing other important business in the universe; YOU are His business. And through His Holy Spirit He is right there with you this very minute.

You may not always feel Him with you. Grief can cloud your ability to sense His presence just like the clouds obscure your view of the sun. But He is still there.

In your darkest moments, simply pause and invite Him to be with you right then.

excerpt from: Carol Tanksley

13/05/2026

Asking God Questions

The death of a loved one usually brings up questions about God, faith, life, death, heaven, hell, eternity, and more. Whatever your previous relationship with God was like, walking through grief may challenge aspects of your faith.

One powerful truth in the Isaiah scripture for today is in the word reason. The original Hebrew word could also be translated as “debate” or even “argue.” God invites us to bring our questions to Him. He can handle it.

When their brother Lazarus died, Martha and Mary said to Jesus something like, “Lord, why didn’t You get here sooner so You could have kept our brother from dying?” In twenty-first-century English, WHY?

Asking WHY doesn’t mean you have lost your faith. God’s best friends throughout the Bible asked WHY in various ways.

It’s possible to question God with a rebellious heart, trying to tell Him what to do. That’s not what I’m saying.

But bringing your questions to God as a child would to a loving parent is exactly what you should be doing with them. Don’t pretend they are not there. (And no need to manufacture questions you don’t feel.)

Bring your questions to God. You won’t make Him mad at you. Doing so can often lead you into an even deeper relationship with Him going forward.

excerpt from: Carol Tanksley

12/05/2026

Embracing God’s Compassion

God sees you with compassion as you are grieving. Jesus understands your human limitations.

Your grief affects every part of you. Physically you may be affected by changes in sleep patterns, loss of appetite, and physical pain. You may struggle to think clearly, and your emotions may seem confusing and difficult to control. You may feel overwhelming exhaustion.

Give yourself the kind of grace God extends to you as you journey through grief. You are a human being, with physical, emotional, and mental limitations. Take care of yourself in the simple areas such as drinking water, eating reasonably good food daily, getting exercise, and getting rest.

Your relationships are also affected by grief. When a loved one dies, family and friends may gather around during the early days to offer support. Sooner or later, however, those who were there initially will likely be going on with their own lives. But you’re still grieving!

Know that in God’s eyes your loved one’s death is important. It matters to Him. He sees you and understands you. Even when others may forget, He never forgets. When others are busy or preoccupied, He’s always available.

When it seems you’re all alone in your grief, remember that God is there, whether or not you can see and feel Him.

excerpt from: Carol Tanksley

11/05/2026

Pain and Hope at the Same Time

As believers, we grieve when a loved one dies. Death hurts—a lot! The testimony of Scripture and of Christians during the last 2,000-plus years is that believing in Jesus does not eliminate grief. Death is an enemy.

In some ways perhaps grief is even more painful for the believer. God’s love has softened our hearts to the point that we care and love more, so the pain of death is especially excruciating. Deep grief is the price of great love.

Yes, we grieve. But we grieve differently.

That difference is not the absence of pain. It’s that we experience excruciating pain and irrepressible hope at the same time.

For the Christian this journey is about doing the human work of grief while giving God full opportunity to bring real healing.

It’s about embracing the “not OK-ness” of death and eventually choosing to go on living anyway.

Sometimes the waves of pain and the waves of hope will chase each other as they crash on the shores of your soul. Only a believer who is grieving can understand how it can be possible to feel such excruciating pain and still have such indestructible hope.

It’s OK to hurt. And it’s OK to hope.

excerpt from: Carol Tanksley

11/05/2026

PROCESSING THE PAIN

I was encouraged to recall the times when Jesus was intense in how He felt. He overturned tables in the synagogue and wept at the loss of His friend Lazarus. Luke 22:44 describes Jesus’ anguish as He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood. Jesus was both God and man, and He displayed emotions. Jesus’ response to what he was experiencing still left him without fault. We are challenged and encouraged to not offend in our actions. It’s tough to do and requires us to ask God to guide us in our thoughts and responses.

God knows when we are downcast and need to release what is happening inside of us. God gave us our emotions, and it’s ok to let them out. When we need to cry or be sad, angry, or frustrated, God will accept it from us.

I don’t know what your grief story is, but I know our grief can be a daily battle. We are not abandoned in our heartache. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and He saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18) We can get up and we can keep going by trusting that God can see us through, one day at a time.

● What emotions are you wrestling with that are keeping you from experiencing peace?

● Journal to God asking Him to help you work through your feelings.

excerpt from: Denita Arnold

10/05/2026

ACCEPTING THE LOSS

It is imminent that we will experience death in our lives, including those we cherish. There is just no way to escape the grief that naturally follows death. That despair can lead us to ask questions such as, “Why us?” and “Why now?” I found myself frustrated as I wrestled intensely with the question, “What next?”

The struggle to answer our questions is dependent on what we are willing to surrender to God. My anguish led me back to my belief that God can do good work in any amount of suffering. I think this is what the apostle Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 12:9–– “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul knew anguish and he struggled too.

Understanding that I wasn’t alone helped me as I tried to make sense of it all. I recognized my need to own my weakness and resolved that I could only move forward in God’s strength and not my own.

With any loss we have experienced, God can restore us in our grief. He can bring healing to our sadness. (Psalm 147:3)

● What deep sorrow is sitting at the edge of your heart?

● Journal to God asking Him to guide you in your pain.

excerpt from: Denita Arnold

09/05/2026

HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY

Father God, We thank you for each and every woman you have blessed with the privilege of motherhood. We thank you that each single mother is a Godly steward of each of their children, and that they raise them in the ways of the Lord. Father, we pray and ask that You continue to give them grace to walk out being a single parent with kindness and generosity. We pray that each single mother has a relationship with You, and worships You in spirit and truth.

Help each of your precious daughters to remember that although they are parenting alone, You have not left them nor forsaken them. We thank You that You see each of them and love them. Lord, if they are weary, we pray and ask that You send them a Godly sister in Christ to hold up their arms in the battle. Lord, thank you that You care about every big or small thing that concerns them. Place a hedge of protection around every single mother and her children, Father. We thank you that You alone are their Provider. Where there is lack, Father, we pray that be it Your will You bring abundance.

We pray and ask these things in your name, Amen.

09/05/2026

HOPE FOR THE POSSIBLE

Is it possible to experience life after loss? Have you ever experienced grief and wondered how on earth it could work together for good?
Grief of a loved one... or a season... can be present in various forms. Regardless of the loss (person, position, thing), life can seem blurry amid the process.

Through the nuances of grieving, I unveiled some hidden aspects of myself. I truly understand the feeling of being overwhelmed by its harsh reality, but I want to encourage you that God will use what's left of our lives to fill the void that we once thought was not fillable. While loss can be excruciatingly painful, it also holds the potential to be a powerful teacher. If we allow ourselves to be open to its lessons, we unlock the door for something greater than ourselves to emerge from the ashes.
Our heavenly Father promises never to leave or forsake us, which is a hope-reviving promise. We serve a merciful God, who is the source of comfort in every season of our lives. His Word says that as He comforts us, we can do the same for others. There is a message and a ministry within every season of loss.

excerpt from: Minor Johnson

https://royaltyjrenee.com/

08/05/2026

REACH OUT BEYOND YOURSELF AND THRIVE!

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul, or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:25-26

Every human being on earth will face their death one day. Some die young, some die old, but how they live their life, their losses, their circumstances in between, will matter. Only when we live our life for Christ, not for self, will we become eternal victors!

“Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds—His name is the LORD—and rejoice before Him. A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.” Psalm 68:4-5

In my grief from my loss, I knew the Lord would defend me, just as I know that whatever you are facing if you trust and believe in Him, He will carry you through.

CAN YOU RELATE?

We can wallow in ourselves and cause our demise or reach out beyond ourselves and thrive. Somehow when we reach out, the loss we are experiencing seems easier to deal with. Dying in Christ is not losing, it is gaining and that is why I can honestly say, “Death does not own me!”

WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY IN THE STUDY:

• We may lose some battles before we win.

• How we live daily, especially during circumstances will matter.

• Learn to trust the Lord and He will see you through.

"Whatever you are facing, it does not own you!"

excerpt from: Eternity Matters With Norma

We hope this Plan was an encouragement to you! Explore other resources from Eternity Matters with Norma at Eternity Matters With Norma

A daily study to encourage, lift up and learn how to stand strong during bad times. Digging deep!