September Vlog 2026
Finding Healing and Hope in Community: A Reflection on Loss and Support
By Mary Beth Woll and Linda Smith
Marriage or Singleness After Widowhood: Seeking God’s Best for Your Next Chapter
Good afternoon. I am at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp in Fosston, Minnesota. We are just wrapping up a family reunion. There were 55 of us here, but some have left, and we will be leaving tomorrow. Our parents taught us that we needed community. Of course, my dad was a pastor, so that almost goes without saying. But that was a valuable lesson, because when I left home, I needed to find my own community.
I have been part of community all my life. And when Kirby died, I needed more community than ever. I lost my husband in 2013, and I am now thriving because of intimacy with God and my community. Jesus valued community. He had his 12 disciples, three of them closer to him than the others, and he had crowds of people that he loved and he died for. We all need community. In Matthew 22, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” That means we need other people.
I am so glad to be part of several communities, and one of them is The Widow’s Project, soon to be Healing Hope for the Widowed. We’re changing our name because we offer healing hope to men and women who have lost their spouse. It is an excruciating experience, to say the least. We need each other. So Healing Hope for the Widowed offers four grief groups. We have a website. We have books that we offer on that website, and videos.
And you may join us if you need healing from the loss of your loved one, your spouse. We have various groups that meet throughout the week. You can look on our website and see who meets when, or you can just contact us on our website and we’ll get back to you and include you in one of our groups. Only a widowed person knows what another widowed person is going through. God bless you. Have a great day.
Be sure to contact us if you need community. God bless you.
Mary Beth Woll & Linda Smith
Healing Hope for the Widowed
If this article encouraged you, The Widows Project offers community, support groups, and practical resources to help widows walk forward with faith, strength, and hope.
Click to find out more, and “Give 50”.
Click here to join the Courage Circle.
Click the image above to make a donation today!
