“The Widow’s Song” by Frances Rollins King Abrams is an encouraging book for her target audience, those who have lost a spouse, but it is also an insightful book for others into the struggles they face.
The book’s 40 devotionals contain personal reflections based on Abrams’ own experiences after the loss of her husband, longtime pastor and director of missions Jerome King, in 2009. It also includes stories of widows from the Bible; verses, hymns and poetry based on Scripture; and stories from contemporary widows. Topics include “When Sleep Eludes,” “Finding Joy,” “God is in Control,” “Contentment” and a fitting final reading entitled “Good-Bye Mountain.”
Each one is beautifully written. The reader soon realizes that the difficulty of losing a spouse — the emotions, the heartache and the pain — are not unique but are shared by all widows. Abrams’ words are filled with encouragement and hope for the grieving. The book fulfills the promise of its subtitle: “Meditations for Widows from God’s Word with Stories from Widows’ Journeys.”
Opportunity
The final paragraph of the book’s Forward reads, “My prayer is that you and I will come to view our station in life as an opportunity to encounter Jesus, spread the good news of His love and encourage others as He touches our widowed lives.” Amen.
Widowhood is a dark moment in life, but the love of God permeates through that sorrow, as Abrams so beautifully illustrates in her writing. Knowing and trusting that God’s promises never fail are the rock on which a widow’s journey should rest. I would heartily recommend this book for recent widows and also for those who have been widowed for years.
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