The absence of a spouse can lead to overwhelming feelings of sadness. We all seek to ask the same questions: Lord, why this? Why me? Why now? The fact is, more often than not we'll never know. We'll never understand why God didn't heal or bring relief. His judgments are inscrutable, and his ways unfathomable.
In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul says there's something remarkable about people who go through the same pain you're experiencing. He states that God uses what we go through to comfort others who are going through it now. Who better to comfort a widower than someone who's lost his wife? Who better to comfort the one who lost a child than someone who's lost a child? Who better to understand a debilitating illness than someone who has gone through the same thing?
The man who wrote me lives across the seas in a home I will never visit. This has zero effect on the bond we share. Shared suffering acts as a kind of "glue" that brings together people who experience pain together. Bearing one another's burdens is a biblical way of supporting and caring for our fellow believers in times of need, distress, or weakness. When Paul writes, "Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2), he's calling for believers to actively engage in helping each other by reflecting the love and compassion of Christ. This interconnectedness is essential for the unity of the body of Christ. It calls us to live out our faith through acts of love and mutual support.
Even if your "burden-bearing" is limited in its extent and shape, you'll never know the impact it has on the lives of your fellow sufferers. So keep sharing the load. Keep being transparent with your grief. You do not travel this road alone.