There was a man who was an alcoholic. When he drank too much he became belligerent. He would say cruel things. Then, at some point during his adult life, he was just belligerent all the time. He was a narcissist. He suffered from depression. He was neglected as a child. His wife didn't know all of these things before they got married. She didn't know that as soon as they got married, the alcoholic, narcissistic, man-child would emerge.
When this side of him surfaced, his wife was confused. What happened to the fun-loving jokester who she thought she was marrying? He would have outbursts and say terrible things to her. He got in her face and yelled whenever she did something that upset him.
She moved into his house after the wedding. Her few measly possessions, sentimental ceramic figurines, she placed gingerly on the shelf above the tv. The rest of her things were in the bedroom.
One day he said, "You should put these figurines away."
She asked, "Why?"
He said, "They could get broken."
She laughed it off as a silly idea. Surely he was joking. He wasn't.
The next day she came home from work to find her favorite figurine broken into several pieces. She looked at her husband in disbelief, "What happened?"
He just shrugged. Without even looking at her he said, "I told you you should put them away. They could get broken."
With tears in her eyes, she boxed up the rest of the figures. They've remained in that box for thirty-six years.
That was just the start of the verbal and emotional abuse. Family and friends told her she should leave him, but she couldn't imagine doing that. She believed she couldn't live without him. Whether that was something that he managed to plant in her mind, we'll never know, but she stuck it out for twenty-five years until he died. It was a co-dependent relationship. She suffers to this day from PTSD, depression, and anxiety; so do her children. Even though he's been dead for ten years, certain things still trigger those old responses.
None of this is even the tragedy. The truly sad part was that she walked away from God three years before meeting this man. She suffered alone with her children without the loving hands of her Heavenly Father. Thankfully, He called her back to Him and embraced her with open arms. He got her through the last few years of being a wife and caregiver to her dying husband.
To anyone who feels like God has abandoned them during their darkest hour, I just want you to know that He is right there with you. You may not realize it during that time, but believe me, you don't want to know the feeling of being apart from Him through the valleys of life. Know He is there and that He loves you. He is holding your hand.
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10 NKJV
For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
Isaiah 41:13 NKJV
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Please join me this week in praying for those who are suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power
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