"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
Isaiah 30:21
For years, one of you drove and the other one navigated. Maybe he held the wheel while you read the map. Maybe you drove and he said, "Turn left up here," a half mile before you needed to know.
You didn't think much about it. That's just how the two of you got places.
Now there's no one in the passenger seat to say, "Turn here."
Every decision feels like a road with no signs.
Sell the house or stay?
Go to church alone or skip this week?
Say yes to lunch, or stay home again?
No one really warns you about this part.
In Isaiah 30, God's people were lost in a different way. They had stopped listening to Him and gone running to Egypt for help. You might expect God to give up on them. Instead, Isaiah says, "Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you." Isaiah 30:18
Then he promises something tender. Even in days of adversity and affliction, "your Teacher will not hide himself anymore." Isaiah 30:20
And then the verse at the top. A word behind you. Close enough to hear. Speaking when you turn to the right, and when you turn to the left.
He doesn't only speak when you get it right. He speaks at the turns.
That is grace. God isn't standing at the finish line with His arms crossed, waiting to see if you find your way. He is the one walking with you, saying, "This is the way."
Jesus said it this way: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27
Notice who does the knowing.
He knows you.
He knows the road.
He knows the end of it.
You don't have to have the whole map. You only have to listen for the next turn.
And if you're not sure you've ever heard His voice at all, that's okay. You can start right here. I wrote about what a personal relationship with Jesus really means, and the door is wide open.
Try today
The next time a decision is in front of you, big or small, stop for a moment before you answer. Just whisper, "Lord, which way?" Then take the next small step.
If you'd like help making a gentle plan for the road ahead, I wrote more in Start with the end in mind: a plan for your grief journey after losing your husband.
Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on!
John Henry Newman, 1833
The passenger seat may be empty. But you are not driving alone. Listen. There's a word behind you.
Blessings, Pastor Howard
Know a widow who needs this today?
Sometimes the kindest thing is a quiet "I thought of you."
What decision feels hardest to make without him?
It might be something big, or something as small as what to make for dinner. Tell me in the comments below. I read every comment, and your words might help another widow feel less alone.