I Found My Superpower
A friend of mine, also a blogger and widow, shared a line in her blog that I told her “I’m going to own it!” She said: “When my husband went to heaven, I learned to lean into God even more. He transformed my pitiful into powerful. Widowhood is my superpower to invest more time into people and love them and myself into lifelong transformation.”
Don’t you love that, fellow widows and widowers? Widowhood can be our superpower if we get ourselves off our minds and we take what God has given us and invest into others. We’re the ones still here, so obviously, we have things to do and things to accomplish, plus people to love and to help them live with a powerful mindset instead of a pitiful one.
It’s a way of living “I not only can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength, I WILL do all things that Christ gives me to do on this side of heaven!” Oh, I get it. Nothing likable about our loved one no longer journeying through life with us. Nothing joyful about sleeping and eating alone and definitely nothing fun about being the only “one” with couples all around. But there’s another side to being a widow/er. Some glorious, eye-opening, wouldn’t-trade-anything-for-them moments come when we are willing to embrace this scripture: “In all things give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Donna, are you saying you’re grateful that you’re a widow? Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Feel free to shake your head and roll your eyes at this point. The truth is, my gratitude has nothing to do with eating, sleeping and being alone. My gratitude has everything to do with Christ. After many decades of knowing Him as my Lord and Savior, I now know Him as my Comforter, Healer, Confidant, Counselor, and Friend. Unequivocally, I can tell you I have never been more aware of His presence or more in awe of His power than at this widowhood stage of life I’m living. And I’ve never felt more compelled to speak up about Him and His great love for me. Though I wouldn’t wish widowhood on anyone, I long for my friends to experience firsthand what happens when we accept the reality of our circumstances and not only trust God, but also thank God for the path He has laid out for us.
My family doesn’t feel sorry for me or worry about me and feel the need to console me. Sure, they know how much I miss the love-of-my-life. Every. Single. Day. And so do they, but they are so relieved that Mom has a dance in her step and a song in her heart. They know that widowhood has given me: a greater sense of God’s faithfulness; a richer understanding of His peace; a constant assurance of His goodness; a deeper dependence on His presence. Oh how sweet to trust in Jesus – just to take Him at His Word. His peace is my greatest source of charging up my superpowers. His goodness and mercy follow me everywhere I go. His sweet presence that assures me I may be alone – but I am never lonely because He never leaves me.
My beloved married, single or widow/er friends, however this new year has started out for you and whatever you might be facing right now, I am grateful for the honor of encouraging you and assuring you that trusting in Jesus gives us superpowers – no matter if the sky is falling or the mountains crumbling or the wind is raging – we can be assured “It is well with my soul and it is well with my heart!” The great “I AM” lives in us so, of course, we have SUPER POWERS!
Colossians 2:6-7, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”