A Light for My Path

I am on the board of a small nonprofit group. Each year we host a health and wellness fair at the local community center. This year’s event was held this past Saturday.

A lady (I’ll call her B) arrived just as the last of the attending agencies was packing up. She was distressed that she had missed the event, but we assured her we could help. We had lots of literature and information from all the agencies. She said she was looking for someone who could help at no or low cost with repairs around her house. We explained that wasn’t really the focus of the participating groups, but we could probably find out through other contacts who could help her.

B started weeping uncontrollably and we quickly pulled together to comfort her. As she calmed somewhat she said that her husband had died and she didn’t know who to turn to for help. We assured her again we would do whatever we could. As we made introductions it turned out that she was a friend and neighbor of one of our volunteers. But, they hadn’t been in touch for a couple of years. B had mostly isolated herself, first taking care of her husband with his illness, and then in her grief after his death. She hadn’t even told her friend about her husband’s passing. For more than a year she had been struggling alone with her grief, neglecting her own health, and overwhelmed by needed home repairs.

Our volunteer and one of our board members are both widows. They talked with B a long time, sharing tears and experiences. Her old friend promised to text or call B every day to check on her and said, when B was ready, she was happy to walk with her, or share lunch, or just sit and talk in person. Our board president is a certified grief counselor. She gently offered B some advice and counsel and encouraged her to set up regular sessions to talk. B reminisced about her husband – told us about his musical talent, his gentle nature, and his intelligence. She shed some more tears, and so did we. But, she also smiled and laughed. And then said that was the first time she had laughed in over a year.

I truly believe B was sent to us by God. She wasn’t looking for grief counseling, or connecting with an old friend, or sharing her story with other widows. But, that’s what she needed. And, that’s what she got. Plus, a recommendation of someone to help her with home repairs.

B is not a church-goer. I don’t know if she is a Christ follower. God still loves her and all of us. He also tells us to love our neighbor, and that everyone is our neighbor. We are told to take care of widows and orphans.

God sent B to us for help. And, we are sent to help her and others. Let’s all go where we are sent.

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Laura