A Widow's Journey
Gayle Roper
“So who am I now that there’s only one place at the table….one pillow with a head dent, one towel damp after a shower? There’s only one toothbrush in the holder. The seat is never left up anymore. I can still write Mrs. in front of my name, but I’m no longer in a marriage relationship. You need two people for a marriage, and there’s only me.” These words, written by our guest, Gayle Roper, capture the longing of every widow. Has a widowed friend ever said, “I wish you could understand the loneliness…..how every minute I’m reminded I’m alone…how I long for my husband’s touch, his protection, sitting across the table eating, watching a movie together, going for an evening walk, running errands….I’m so alone.” And you wish you could understand, too, but you can’t. This conversation between Gayle Roper and Sharon Betters is not only for the widow but for those who love her. Gayle gives us a tender glimpse into the daily life of a widow, what a widow can do after her husband dies that will help her find a new level of normal, how the scriptures met her in some of the most mundane yet painful moments, remarriage and much more. The widow will know she has a friend in Gayle, and her friends will be better equipped to come alongside of her.
Gayle is an award-winning author of over 50 books, with the original release of A Widow’s Journey receiving the Golden Scroll Book of the Year in 2015. For over 50 years of service as an author, speaker, and mentor, she received the American Christian Fiction Writers Lifetime Achievement Award. Gayle’s newest book is Prayers for a Widow’s Journey. Gayle is the founder of The Widow’s Journey Conference held every year at Sandy Cove Conference Center.
Gayle invites widows to a safe place to connect with other widows and experience deep encouragement and comfort, “Having trouble finding people who understand? Come to Widow's Journey Weekend, where you will be not only understood but encouraged and seen. Tears, yes, but lots of laughter, too. Feb 28-March 2, 2025, at Sandy Cove Christian Conference Center, Northeast, MD
Connect with Gayle at https://www.gayleroper.com/
