What I’ve Learned from Being a Widower

About The Podcast

Nine years ago, Daniel Brooker lost the only woman he’d ever loved, his wife Lyndsie, to ovarian cancer. As he struggled to stay strong in his faith and communicate what he was feeling to others, he discovered that while there are many support groups and resources for widows, there were glaringly few for widowers. The experience prompted him to found Refuge, a ministry for men dealing with the loss of a beloved spouse. This week Daniel talks with Redeemed founder Paul Amos about his journey and everything he’s learned from it, one of the most important being how to (and how not to) communicate with someone who’s suffered a monumental loss: “Don’t tell someone it’s going to be OK—stay with them until they can say it themselves.”   

Show Notes

Additional Resources:

• Refuge Widowers
• Daniel’s Personal Website: https://danielobrooker.com/

Timestamps: 

0:00—Intro/”lightning round”

5:50—Daniel’s faith journey and the loss of his first wife

13:33—How Daniel started his ministry

25:10—“If you’re willing to not waste what you’ve been through, God will bring purpose out of it”

28:48—Dealing with discouragement and doubts about one’s faith

36:05—What does redemption mean to you?

39:11—“Don’t tell someone it’s going to be OK—stay with them until they can say it”

44:29—How do you love a late spouse and a current spouse at the same time?

50:21—Advice for people who are grieving/How to connect with Refuge