Day 8

Making Room for Widows and Orphans

from the reading plan


Isaiah 1:17, Psalm 68:4-6, John 14:15-18, 1 Timothy 5:3-16, James 1:27


I am a widower, and I am raising four motherless children.

Before my late wife died after a two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer, I was put in contact with another widower. I didn’t have the courage to contact him until the scarlet “widower” title was seared onto my soul. Joining him in that title was not something I wanted. I didn’t want to have anything in common with him, no connection at all.

Widowhood thrusts you into a new crowd, a crowd where you are a walking example of every married person’s deepest fear. No matter your age, no one wants to be thrown back to junior high with all the pimples and insecurities and clumsiness. Widowhood makes you feel as though everything you’ve built to guide you and give you a sense of purpose in this life is now gone.

On caring for those who grieve, Isaiah 1:17 says this: “Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.” So how exactly do we “plead the widow’s cause”? By acknowledging their grief and treating it with justice and compassion.

The brokenness of the widow and the orphan may not be fully understood unless you have walked those same paths. But full understanding is not the goal. Compassion for a brokenness you may never know is the goal. This sort of compassion really stretches you beyond your equipping, which is what makes this particular kind of hospitality such a great service. God mentions this kind of care numerous times in Scripture because caring for orphans and widows is close to His heart. He says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you” (John 14:18).

The fear of the widow and the orphan, of anyone grieving a great loss, is that they will only be known as people who have been left and abandoned. However, Jesus has promised never to leave us. Personally, it’s a promise that means more to me than I could ever say.

When we make room for orphans and widows, we celebrate Jesus’s promise to abide with us and comfort us, even as we comfort others. We declare our own intention to be present, our ears and our hearts open to grieve with them. When we make room for those who’ve lost much, we remind them that there is a place at God’s table reserved especially for them.

Written by Jason Tippetts

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4 thoughts on "Making Room for Widows and Orphans"

  1. Andrew Flack says:

    God is truly amazing. He forgives us after all of our transgressions and then provides us with the Holy Spirit that directs us in our life when we’re getting off track. If God is this gracious to us, then why don’t we do the same for others in need? Every day I see people that come from terrible Home lives and we just choose to ignore and accept it. Why? Why do we just assume that they’re okay? Just because our lives are great, doesn’t mean everyone else’s is. It’s a big deal to people who live in these situations. Be a blessing to those who don’t have any. So that your blessings will be shared and of worth.

  2. Lukas Fortunato says:

    I think about my 2 younger sisters. They knew abandonment. They knew rejection. They were living in an orphanage in India when my parents rescued them. And it wasn’t an overnight rescue. My parents fought for years to adopt. Spent thousands of dollars. And even after adoption it has not been an easy road. The pain has run deep with my sisters and they have responded in different ways. With anger with silence with lies with a plethora of bad decisions. Yet through it all, there has been a road to redemption. There has been a steadfastness and patience and love from my parents that has seemed to be boundless. Now my sister is coming to church with my wife and me every Sunday. My other sister is in counseling and pursuing a nursing degree. It’s been over 15 years since that first adoption and my hope for both of these girls who are now young women have never been higher. And through it all I’ve also seen a passionate response from my parents to live out the verses I read today to defend the fatherless.

  3. Kevin says:

    Day 8: were meant to show orphans there is a place for them. I’m thankful to have 3 adopted sisters, but it breaks my heart to see them not know the meaning of adoption and the love that comes behind that. Ultimately we are called to love, and that includes people who have been abandoned.

  4. Kaitlin McQuaid says:

    All glory to God, who is always good and will not leave us. When I first felt despair of my loss someone told me, “He doesn’t take, he only receives.” While I was helpless to my pain then, that message has since comforted me often. I hope that it can be of use to you as well. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. God bless you and your family.

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