Widowers Walk: One Man's Journey From Grief to Joy

By James A. Robbins DMIN.

No one prepares you for the loss of your spouse. It is a gut wrenching journey that can make the biggest man crumble. It may even lead to a crisis in faith. Dr. Robbins has experienced the pain, the grief, the loneliness and the rediscovery of life after marriage and weaves his insight into the hard lessons learned with practical recommendations and spiritual connection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385015863

James A. Robbins DMIN.

Dr. Robbins is a retired professional in food safety and production as well as a pastor and missionary to Uganda. His studies include a doctorate in chemistry and a doctorate of ministry in transformational leadership. He has 2 grown children. His wife and he were married 39 years before her death from myotonic muscular dystrophy type 1. He has a unique insight to caregiving over several years and the adjustment to life without his bride. Several years after his wife died, Dr. Robbins was blessed with a new wife, the dream his first wife had wanted for him.

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Widowers

Walk

One Man’s Journey

From Grief to Joy

JAMES A. ROBBINS, DMIN.

Copyright © 2024 James A. Robbins, DMIN.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1587-0 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1588-7 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1586-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023924679

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/02/2024

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Being Ready – Part 1

Chapter 2 Being Ready – Part 2

Chapter 3 Baby Steps – Part 1

Chapter 4 Baby Steps – Part 2

Chapter 5 Baby Steps – Part 3

Chapter 6 Gratitude

Chapter 7 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

Chapter 8 Rekindle Old Hobbies

Chapter 9 Take Care of Yourself!

Chapter 10 Companionship

Chapter 11 Getting Out

Chapter 12 Pay Tribute

Chapter 13 Explore New Opportunities

Chapter 14 Between the Dashes

Chapter 15 It Ain’t Easy!

Chapter 16 Letting Go

Chapter 17 Where Do I Go from Here?

Chapter 18 Continue to Make New Memories

Chapter 19 Making Peace with The Past

Chapter 20 Mama Told Me There Would Be Days Like These

Chapter 21 Oh, the Holidays

FOREWORD

It is with great confidence that I highly recommend the book by my friend, Dr. Jim Robbins, - Widower’s Walk. Jim wisely bears his heart and soul about his challenging and meaningful journey as a widower. He aims to encourage people in similar circumstances to keep moving forward in life... and to nurture their relationship with Christ. He succeeds! You will be moved by this honest, practical, and thoughtful work.

Pastor Cliff Lea

First Baptist Church

Leesburg, Florida

INTRODUCTION

It Could Never Happen to Me!

My dear sweet bride and I were joyously united in marriage on March 20, 1976! What a glorious day - we thought our earthly marriage would never end. But suddenly on July 17, 2015, my life turned upside down. I came home from a business trip and found my dear bride standing in the bathroom, holding on to her walker and gone to heaven! The shock I can only describe as someone ripping out half of my body.

I was stunned and confused. I called 911 and they asked me to stay on the phone until the paramedics arrived. When I let them in, I remember them asking me where Pat was, and I took them to the master suite. Someone blurted out, DB. One very kind paramedic grabbed me and said let’s get out of here and he took me to my neighbor’s house. I told them what occurred, and they told me to sit down and gave me some water. I looked at my phone, and realized I was still on the line with 911. The operator asked me who to call and I gave her my pastor’s name and the funeral home. She told me she would get everyone there and for me to hang up.

I did and the next thing that came to my mind was I needed to call my children - oh how I hated making those calls. My son volunteered to call several family members and I remembered Pat’s best friend, Palma. I called her and she screamed and said it is not true and hung up. She called me back