“Ah, have a heart!” I’m sure you’ve heard that cliché.

In Job 29:13, Job claimed he, “Caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.”

I thought about that claim and wondered what he did to be able to make such a statement.

Did he:

• Forgive a widow a debt?
• Take her or her child to a doctor and pay the bill or get some medicine?
• Purchase something, she needed?
• Take her food?
• Allow her to glean?
• Go to court with or for her?
• Help her find a place to live?
• Act as a body guard?
• Give her garden space?
• Take her to the market or give her money each month?

Whatever he did brought joy to the heart of a widow, and must have made him feel that he had done something worthwhile.

It’s easy for me to have tunnel vision because I am my mother’s primary care giver. As such, I believe it is my duty to put her immediate needs first. Then as time allows I can look around to see what other widows might need.

How can I help them? I keep our church’s widow’s list on my treadmill so I can pray for their needs while I walk.

Since February is Sweetheart month, I don’t believe most widows expect anything special as flowers, jewelry, or candy because their husbands aren’t around to send or give them anything.

But I can text or phone a widowed friend to cheer her up and it’s free.

So, this month I hope to have a heart—and to make someone else’s sing.