The "New" Widows and Orphans

God has impressed on me that there is a new subgroup of people. In America, there are indeed older women who have lost their husbands, and He has directed His Body to help take care of them. But God has opened my eyes to a new class of widows and orphans and these are those whose husbands/fathers have abandoned them. It is as if he is dead. He has sued for divorce removing himself from their lives, leaving them to fend for themselves. These are women in all age groups, that are referred to as "single moms."

Sometimes we see a woman who is divorced, and we may judge her, but did anyone think that her husband was the one who divorced her and she didn't want a divorce, but was just left holding the bag so to speak?

Everyone knows some woman and children in their own world who have many needs, and we as the Body of Christ need to take care of these "widows, and their orphans." We could give money, time, or offer help in many other ways to help come alongside them. I think God would like that.

I guess I would never have felt this strongly about this if I hadn't heard the words of my own grandson a few years ago. As we sat at the table eating, he unexpectedly blurted out," Did you know Daddy gave up on us and found someone else?" The knife of sorrow that pierced my heart that day for him and my daughter and my grandaughter was the one that created a wound, and made me sensitive to the heartcry of the many widows and orphans around us.

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Malachi 4: 5,6.

I don't know who that prophet is, or what exactly is meant by all of this, but I do know that God is serious about fathers taking their place in the family, putting his role as father and husband over making money. Pure and true religion is to take care of the widows and orphans, who in case of divorce are the collateral damage.

I challenge you, brothers and sisters, to ask God who around you are victims of these hurtful tragedies that you can show the love of Christ to in action. He loves and has compassion for them. Let Him love them through you.