Grief 08: Widowed & Single Motherhood—An Interview with Lisa Appelo
Motherhood holds challenges, even with a loving husband and father by our side. So when the painful sting of death ends our marriage, how can we shepherd our children and find healing when grief is this deep? In this episode, Emily and Laura chat with author and widow, Lisa Appelo, on her experience raising seven children after the sudden death of her husband. The heartbreak of losing a father and husband is painfully real, but as we navigate the seas of grief, we can be reminded that God is always with us—in his presence, we can have hope in the darkest of places.
Lisa Appelo inspires women to deepen faith in life’s storms and is an ECPA best-selling author of Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart. A former litigating attorney, Lisa is passionate about rich Bible teaching. She writes at LisaAppelo.com, founded a team of writers at hopeingrief.com, and serves on the Executive Team for COMPEL with Proverbs31Ministries. Her work has been featured at Life Today, Insight for Living, Ann Voskamp, Christian Parenting, Risen Motherhood and more. As a single mom of seven, Lisa’s days are filled with parenting, ministry, and long walks to justify lots of dark chocolate. Connect with Lisa on Instagram @lisaappelo and get your free copy of 7 Days of Hope for the Shattered Heart.
Mentioned on the Show:
Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo
The Risen Motherhood Guided Journal releases May 2, 2023! Pre-order here!
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
Hinds' Feet on High Places: An Engaging Visual Journey by Hannah Hurnard
Related Resources from R|M:
Risen Motherhood x Every Moment Holy:
Liturgies for Grieving Moms
We’ve partnered with our friends at Every Moment Holy to create an exclusive download filled with liturgies for different types of grief we experience as moms. This download is completely free when you sign up for the Risen Motherhood email list—fill out the form below to get this free download straight to your inbox!
R|M Apply Questions:
Read Psalm 139. Lisa shares that what brought hope in her grief was the reminder that the Lord had planned every single one of her days from before she was born—this suffering was not his ‘Plan B’ for her life. What disappointments or painful circumstances are you facing in your own life right now? How does reading this passage reframe them into purposeful moments God will faithfully guide you through?*
Are you in a season of grief right now? Write down a list of daily responsibilities and tasks that feel difficult to complete. Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord to give you wisdom on things you may be able to delegate or say ‘no’ to in this season, even if you used to be able to say ‘yes.’
In the show, Lisa mentions that in the wake of her husband’s death, she didn’t struggle with God’s goodness, but rather God’s goodness to her. Consider starting a journal (or open up the Notes app on your phone!) and write down several ways each day this week that you see God’s goodness in your life. Pray that the Lord will give you the eyes to see his deep love for you as a daughter in Christ.*
If you’re not currently walking through grief, how can you encourage another mom who may be grieving? Think about the women in your community and church family, and write down 1-2 ways you can tangibly serve them in a hard season.
*If you’re in a season of deep grief, we know that an application question or Scripture reference can’t meet you wholly in the pain you’re experiencing. We encourage you to reach out to a trusted friend, mentor, counselor, and/or medical professional who can speak into your specific circumstances.
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