Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
This coming Sunday, August 4 at 3 p.m. Wanda Harelson and Marilyn Powers will host the first gathering of their new grief ministry located in The Nook at First Baptist Church of Barnwell.
The doors, like their welcoming hearts, will be open to all women in the community suffering from the loss of a loved one.
The ministry, called G.I.F.T., is an acronym for Growing In Faith Together, offering an understanding and encouraging fellowship for women to share their feelings.
Not long ago, Harelson was in the midst of grief with extra time on her hands and yet couldn’t ignore a call on her heart to speak with Senior Pastor Bart Kelley and Associate Pastor Jeremy Creech about an idea she had for a ministry. Unsure how it would all come together, but trusting God was leading her, she knew she wanted to volunteer her time to help grieving women in the community.
Then one morning in Sunday School she strongly felt The Lord leading her to talk with Powers about developing the G.I.F.T. ministry.
“Marilyn Powers and I wound up sitting next to each other that morning and now we are co-leaders in this support group. She lost her husband, Steve, to Covid on October 20th 2020 and I lost my husband, Jim, to pancreatic cancer on February 27th of this year. She and I both have felt the need in this community for a grief and support group for women. Not just widows, but for all women in the community feeling any loss,” said Harelson.
Powers shared, “Yes, this has been on my heart for some time as well.” Harelson smiled and said, “That was her first response to me when I approached her with the idea.” Both ladies agreed, nodding, “It’s definitely a God thing.”
“God clearly put us together. We both know that. I remember approaching Wanda after church one day in the parking lot right after Jim passed away. I just know that God has placed me in the paths of many people that are walking this road. And it’s not just about husbands,” said Powers. “There’s a lot of loss and grief and until you walk that road, you really don’t know.”
As emotions welled up in her voice, Powers said, “I can remember from that October till February, there was just so much sadness. I just missed him so terribly. We were together for 45 years. You don’t feel alone because you know the Holy Spirit is there. You’re talking to the Holy Spirit constantly. You're reading and studying His Word and I had a hunger to know everything I could about Heaven. But there was a sadness that I had a hard time shaking. And every month on the 20th, I would just relive that night he left. I can remember saying, ‘Holy Spirit, I can’t shake the sadness. Lord, just come and get me. The world’s upside down.’ But then The Holy Spirit clearly said, ‘Remember what Dr. Thompson told you, not once but twice. Once when Steve was in ICU’, (we were both in the hospital at the same time,) ‘and again after he passed away, Dr. Thompson said, your immune system numbers were so weak, you were the more likely of the two of you to be the one on the ventilator and not make it.’ And He (The Holy Spirit) said, ‘God has something else planned for you.’ And I knew The Holy Spirit was right. I said, you could have taken me but you didn’t, Holy Spirit. And I need to feel privileged that you chose me to stay and share the Good News of God with others."
That very day, the 20th of February 2021, Powers noticed life was different. The sun was shining again after a long period of winter dreariness.
She thanked The Lord for the sunshine, including, “Thank you Lord, that I know Steve is with you and I declare I will never again be sad on this day. I declare, proclaim and receive the goodness of God and I will rejoice on the 20th of every month that this is the moment that Steve met you face to face.”
In proclamation and declaration, she sent those similar words in a message to her Bible study friends and said, “Within moments of sending the text, my mind was flooded with memories of when we were dating 45 years ago, memories that I’d completely forgotten about. I could see the clothes we were wearing, hear the music we listened to, and it was the most beautiful, sweet little kisses from Heaven. Spending time with God, doing daily devotions starting your day out with Him, abiding in God throughout the day and that’s what changes and gets you to understand how the scripture says, ‘See, I’m doing a new thing now.’ And He is, ‘I am your husband now.’ And He is. And then, you can’t be sad when you’re praising Jesus. You just can’t.”
After that revelation is when Powers, like Harelson, knew she wanted to be part of a ministry helping women build a closer relationship with God and not live with sadness. But she knew she’d have to wait on God’s perfect timing because she needed to continue working full time, commuting back and forth for three hours to Columbia on a daily basis.
“Sweet, quiet time to enjoy with Jesus,” Powers said.
Yet, with every opportunity that came along, she was led to reach out, talk and pray with anyone God brought her way, those walking the same path.
“God placed me here to do this and I knew it,” she said. “The wonderful thing about this (ministry) is Wanda’s just taken control over moving it forward and getting things happening. She and I collaborate a lot together but it’s nice because she does have the time that I don’t have so I think we’re making a good team,” said Powers.
Their sisterhood in Christ was shining during the interview for this story as both ladies looked at each other, smiled, and Harelson said, “I do, too.”
Witnessing this unity and sisterhood already established between these ladies, by all means, it’s evident, this ministry will bless each and every woman choosing to accept this G.I.F.T. As the women spoke, Harelson reminisced upon a beautiful moment God shared with her. Such is the blessing of gathering together.
“Jim loved to work outside with the flowers and birds in the garden. We have six hydrangea bushes that never bloomed and after he passed away they have flourished. Jim passed away at our daughter’s house and she does not ever have birds in her yard. But, her back yard, since he passed away, has been covered with cardinals. I’m telling you, I have never seen so many cardinals in my life and they’re just flocking in her yard. They were Jim’s favorite bird. It’s a blessing how God comforts each of us in unique ways,” said Harelson.
“We both have a heart for Jesus,” Powers said. “We are excited to be a part of this ministry for our community and to share with ladies the power and grace, love and mercy, and the goodness of our God that we have experienced in our lives.
Our prayer is that they will knows that God loves them, and that He is there for them.”
Matthew 5:4 is their guiding Bible verse: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
The ministry will have refreshments, time of sharing together, devotion and prayer at each meeting.
“We will include all the hugs needed,” Harelson said.“We had planned to meet once a month, but we will ask the group if they would like the opportunity to meet twice a month. We will have special birthday celebrations once a month and we have crafts, games and even eating out together occasionally to celebrate just being together and supporting each other. We will introduce journaling and devotional time for the ladies to enjoy during their quiet time at home. I personally feel so blessed to have this opportunity to support these ladies and in turn they will support me as well because of my own recent loss.”
Senior Pastor Bart Kelley, who is thankful for this ministry, said, “My hope is this ministry will be so overwhelming that God will have two men, they don’t have to be members of this church, as long as they’re God faithful men; that will be willing to move forward and start the same thing for men. Because women will comfortably open up to women and men will likewise open up to men.
”For more information on the G.I.F.T. Ministry please call Wanda Harelson at 803-920-1451 or Marilyn Powers 803-315-7947.
