108: Nine and a Half Years, Then Gone: How Melissa Richman Found God's Faithfulness After Losing Her Husband to Stage 4 Colon Cancer cover art

108: Nine and a Half Years, Then Gone: How Melissa Richman Found God's Faithfulness After Losing Her Husband to Stage 4 Colon Cancer

108: Nine and a Half Years, Then Gone: How Melissa Richman Found God's Faithfulness After Losing Her Husband to Stage 4 Colon Cancer

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Summary

 In this deeply moving episode of Healing and Made Free, Janet Boynes sits down with her longtime friend Melissa Richman — a mother, business owner, and woman of faith from the Twin Cities — for an honest, heartfelt conversation about love, loss, grief, and the faithfulness of God. Melissa shares the story of her marriage to Matt Richman — a healthy, faith-filled, 37-year-old pharmaceutical executive — and the shock of hearing the words "stage four colon cancer" during what should have been a routine lab check. Over the next three and a half years, Melissa and Matt fought together, celebrated a year of no evidence of disease, and watched it come back with a vengeance. In February 2020 — two weeks before the world shut down for a pandemic — Matt passed away. He left behind Melissa and their three young children, ages five, six, and seven. Melissa opens up about the devastating first year of widowhood: the numbness, the isolation, the moment she prayed God would take her too, and the slow, painful journey back to healing. She talks about the power of wise counsel and therapy, allowing safe people to love her and her children, and how God — even in the deepest suffering — was never far away. Janet also shares her own grief journey, opening up about losing her best friend to cancer and her struggle with loneliness as a single woman. Together they offer hope to anyone walking through grief, loss, or a season that feels like God has forgotten them. 👉 If you or someone you love has lost a spouse, is walking through cancer, or is struggling with grief and loneliness — this episode is for you. Please share it. Topics Covered: • Meeting and marrying Matt — barefoot on the beach in Captiva Island, Florida • Navigating a blended family and the importance of pre-marital counseling • The hike where Melissa first knew something was wrong • Receiving a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis for a 37-year-old in perfect health • Three and a half years of fighting cancer together — and the win that didn't last • Matt's final trip to Captiva — and what Melissa now knows it meant • Losing a husband two weeks before the pandemic — grief and the lockdown • Praying God would take her too — and choosing to stay for her kids • Wrestling with God and finding him in the mess • Counseling, community, and letting people love you through grief • Janet's personal story of loneliness and grief as a single woman • A message of hope for anyone who feels forgotten by God • Why colon cancer screenings can save your life (men: get checked at 40)
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