What is Responsible? | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: What is Responsible? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Linda Gage
02/13/14
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“No time for breakfast, honey. I’ll grab something on the way!”

No different from most every other morning, she scraped the bacon and eggs into the dog’s dish. The daily routine began.

“Lord, Thank you for the blessings that you have given our family. Thank you for loving and saving me. Lord I’ve asked a thousand times, but please help Sam see your light. Please Lord, open his eyes to your truth. I love him so.
He needs you desperately. So do I.”

Her prayers continued for an hour praising God for his truth, promises and greatness, thanking the Lord the people in her life, asking forgiveness for sins, always ending with yet another plea for her husband’s salvation.

She arose from her knees, rounded the kids up and drove them to school. Then to her own job.

Sam was already in his third hour of work, on the other side of town. Though the day’s workload seemed heavy knew he would get through it. He always did. He did not get this far in his job without being responsible.

Josh and Joanie were off to their small Christian school. Just three years ago Jane had argued with Sam to allow them to attend there. When Jane agreed to work to offset the cost, Sam succumbed. The kids loved it.

Nine a.m. Text: ‘ Hi, Hon, how’s ur day! be home for dinner?’
Texts to Sam had to be short and to the point or he would not read its entirety. He was always engrossed in his work.

Sam was accountable to a fault. His boss knew he could rely on him no matter what and adding more clients to the list only meant more would get done.

Ten and eleven o clock passed with no response. Questioning if she should, she texted again.

Noontime text; “hope ur day is good. (smiley face) Whatcha want to eat later?”

Changing the question sometime helped to get an answer.

Sam loved Jane. She was a faithful wife. When Jane was the only one who took the invitation to their neighbor’s church and accepted Christ, Sam did not object.

While waiting to pick up the kids, she thanked God for the day and that both Josh and Joanie came to Christ. She prayed for their future and for Sam. Then she sent yet another text.

Three pm text: ‘sorry to bother! (sad face) wondering bout tonight?’ She hoped it was not too long.

Sam was not a bad man. He loved his family, was a good father and good provider. He knew his obligations and always met them. When Jane and the kids went to church on Sundays, he chose sleeping or golfing because it was the only time he could separate from the job.

Four pm response finally arrived: ‘still have 4 clients. will try to get there. U choose. Love you.’

Her answer to his last text was always the same: ‘Love you too and God loves you too.’

Sam read it and shook his head and wondered why she always had to add that. He knew Jane was into this ‘Jesus’ thing, but he saw no use for it. He met all his obligations in his life.

Her heart sank just a little as she and the kids said grace with the empty chair at the head of the table. She thanked God again for her family, the food and added a prayer for Sam’s safety.

Traveling around was a part of his duties. He used his time wisely by staying in contact with clients on the cell phone while driving. He reasoned that he was very careful.

She was startled awake by a knock on the door at 11:30 pm. When she saw the officer she immediately knew. He spoke She crumbled to the floor in convulsions.

“Mrs. Smith. I am sorry to inform you there has been an accident. Mr. Smith’s car was found crashed and ma’am. . . I’m sorry. Uh, he probably didn’t see it, probably going so fast when he hit. He probably didn’t feel a thing.”

Her body shaking as she prayed unintelligible words.

Wringing his hand and stumbling on the words, “He, uh, crashed into a dead end sign. He didn’t make it. I am so sorry for your loss.”

The words pounded into her heart. “. . . crashed into a dead end.”

Then she screamed at the top of her lungs. “OH, GOD NO, that was no dead end.”

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