Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: RASH (04/12/18)
-
TITLE: The Foolishness of Men | Previous Challenge Entry
By Linda Lawrence
04/18/18 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
For weeks, my husband and 14-year-old daughter, Sharon, had been moody and unhappy. My daughter I could understand. This was our first year living back in the States and I realized she felt very out of place and ugly. She was at that awkward stage of life, hating her hair, her teeth, her clothes. She was not fun to be around.
But neither was my husband. He was just as miserable and depressed. He was actually considering resigning from a job he had loved. Everything seemed to make him feel a failure. He interpreted my comments about my friend buying a house, that was perfect for her family, as his failure to provide for me. That was not what I said or thought!
Too many exclamation marks, I know, but my head was exploding with them as I tried to process what my husband was finally telling me.
It was the middle of the night, and I had awakened and realized my husband was not in bed. I found him on the couch in the living room, bent over, dejected, praying.
“Honey,” I pleaded, “please talk to me. What is going on? What have I done to make you so unhappy?”
He raised his head. “It's not you.” Slowly the story came out. “Sharon has been so miserable ever since we came back. . . I prayed that I would feel what she is feeling . . . so I could understand her. . . and help. . . to comfort or strengthen her. I need to feel her pain. . . and I am. . . ”
I couldn't imagine praying such a rash prayer! “And what am I supposed to do!?” I huffed. “Am I supposed to ask to be depressed too?”
“No, no,” he sobbed. “I can only do this because I know you will remain steady.”
It seemed foolish to me at the time – to voluntarily enter into someone else's pain. But that was the way he was. When he saw hurting people he was compelled “to taste the salt of their tears.”
But isn't that what our God deliberately did! Didn't Jesus make the decision with His Father, out of love and compassion, to voluntarily take on flesh in order to suffer with and for us? He willingly shares our pain and comforts and strengthens us.
It looks like I am the rash one, letting anger blind me to appreciating the beauty of sacrificial love.
“. . . the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. I Corinthians 1:25 NASB
Memoir and Devotional reflecting Jesus' heart seen in Philippians 2:5-8.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
Those are tiny things though. You did a fine job of writing on topic while delivering a powerful message. I really enjoyed the ending. It brought peace to my heart. Congratulations on your EC! Happy Dance!