Have you ever read something or heard something and had a new thought? Something that has never crossed your mind before? That happened to me today. Now, I have listened to or read Psalms 23 many times. Most of you probably have as well.
The line: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” got a new thought today.
The part that got my attention was the “shadow of death.” It is not actually “death” but its shadow. Shadows may appear scary, but they are not as frightening as the thing that is casting the shadow. Then, and this is big, there can only be a shadow if there is light! Jesus said of himself that he is light. In fact, the light of the world.
Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV)
No wonder one doesn’t have to fear evil when they go through a valley or time in their life that can be filled with uncertainty because “thou (Jesus) art with me!” It’s comforting to know that Jesus, our shepherd, walks with us in life. He leads us and guides us like beside “still” waters so we can quench our thirst. Or to tables so we can eat relaxed, even in the presence of our enemies. If you miss what is going on here, it’s this: if you can trust Jesus with your life, you can live life even though things around you are not as good as you would desire them to be.
You will be comforted; you will be anointed so the smallest parasites of life can’t harm you. In fact, although life may be unstable around you, you will be blessed beyond anything you can imagine. Goodness and mercy will follow you wherever you go, and then, at the end of it all, you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
It’s not a bad gig for simply placing your trust in Jesus. You’ve got nothing to lose and real life to gain. The kind of life God intended for you all along.
Do you think God is so cold and so hard-hearted that He will not open his arms to the one who comes to him? Do you think He looks in a book and says, “I’m sorry. You messed up too many times.”? Do you believe that what you have done is so horrible that you do not qualify for his love and forgiveness? If so, then you may not know God.
The words that have hurt so many. The lies that have deceived and led astray the innocent. The conniving, the stealing, the murder, the cheating. It has amounted to so much pain. Do you consider that your actions are too much for God to forgive? If so, then you may not know God.
Satan, the devil will tell you it is. That there is no room in God’s kingdom for someone like you. That you have failed, that you aren’t good enough, that you don’t measure up. If you have believed any of these lies, then you may not know God.
For God IS love. Everything He does stems from a heart full of love for you.
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Rom. 8:31-39 (MSG)
Ask him for his love and forgiveness, and he will give it to you.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn. 1:9 (NIV)
Have you ever noticed how many times a person can have a different opinion than yours? Are you surprised by this or angry? I mean, we want people to think like us or at least agree with us. One reason for this is due to the other person’s perspective.
Their perspective has been shaped by their upbringing, background, experiences, and even by their faith or lack thereof, and so has ours. It isn’t easy, at times, to see things from their vantage point. Unless you are discussing a matter of right and wrong, neither perspective may be correct or incorrect. Hopefully, you can agree to disagree if needed.
However, there is one perspective that is always right and true. That is God’s. How can one know his? By asking and reading his word, the Bible. There, you will absolutely know what is right and wrong, and you will know why very well. Some know how God sees things but refuse to agree with him, and they will continue to do things on their own.
Seeking God’s point of view in all situations is wisdom. A friend of mine and a fellow blogger lives by this and actually named her website “seekingdevineperspective.com.” There, she shares what God shows and teaches her, but more importantly, she lives it.
Changing your perspective can be revealing. Take another look at the photo. This time, I have posted it from the original perspective of the photographer. Do you see it? Simply a series of rocks or a man reading?
Be open to other’s views of life, but be more open to God’s.
“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Isa. 55:8-9 (MSG)
April has shared with me that she often will ask God, “Why did you make me the way you did?” Perhaps you have wondered the same thing about you. April finds tackling some subjects and issues in life challenging. It bothers her when others don’t struggle with those same things.
That is when I start reminding April that she is unique and has the strengths that others desire. For instance, she has this unbelievable talent for cooking these amazing dishes from leftover ingredients in the refrigerator. I had an uncle who once confessed to me that he would make chili from whatever he found in his frig. Needless to say, he also admitted that some of those items were past their expiration date, but he didn’t want to waste them by throwing them out. I never ate his chili!
April is indeed an excellent cook! I’m a lucky man! She is also a good teacher. Young children love her and respond when she speaks. But even in general, children are drawn to April. I believe this is because she is full of God’s love. They sense His presence on her and are attracted to her. Then, there is a particular kind of innocence about her. I can stand still in the entryway of a room and watch her. Then, whenever she sees me, she lights up with the cutest, sweetest smile you have ever seen. April was fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:13-16 (MSG)
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
No one else could be April. God made her unique. He has gifted her like no other. She also operates with the spiritual gift of discernment. She can meet someone and know about them or their motives. As my helpmate, something I have learned to rely on. As her namesake, “April Joy,” she brings a lot of happiness into our home. God made you unique, too. He designed you for his purposes. If you are struggling with life, then perhaps you are really struggling with letting God have control.
April isn’t perfect, though. God is still working on her, as He is with all of us. Don’t be puzzled. There may be pieces missing in us—pieces that God will put in place in his timing. One thing is for sure: one day, we will be complete with all the pieces in their proper place.
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Phil. 1:6 (MSG)
What do you think of people? Do you like them? Tolerate them? Or are they merely interruptions? I have said a few times I could do without them. I know. Shocking. If I had the choice and the resources, I could live in a small cabin away from people. Kind of like Theodore (Ted) John Kaczynski, only without mailing bombs to people.
I don’t hate people, but I have come to realize that interacting with them requires something of me that doesn’t come easily: love. More specifically, God’s love. Consistently producing God’s kind of love in some form or another takes effort. Let’s face it: reacting in our flesh is much easier.
“Jesus had a plan for the day, but then, there were PEOPLE!” – Rich Rubietta.
Dealing with people takes time. But when it happens unscheduled, you have a decision to make. Am I going to stop, talk, minister, help, or what? My response to this person will be time-consuming!
The other day, I was trying to finish my grocery shopping before getting to a doctor’s appointment. I know the store well, so I grabbed the needed items and threw them in my cart. “Can you help me? I’m having chest pains,” the woman said. She got nervous, though, when she saw me pull out my phone and began to dial 911. “I’m not having a heart attack, but I feel anxiety. I only live a few miles from here, and I don’t feel like waiting for the bus. Would you be willing to drive me to where I live?”
I started thinking, why me? Had she asked others? Is this something she does all the time? Do I have a sign on my back that reads “Student Driver of God’s Love?” I’ll probably be late for my appointment. I had a good reason to say, “I’m sorry. I really can’t.” And I probably would have felt justified in doing so. What would you have done?
I agreed but found it challenging to keep her focused. Instead of getting in line like “normal” customers to get rung up, she took her laundry basket with her food around the customers, playing by the rules to the cashier directly. I kept reminding her we had to hurry because I had a doctor’s appointment.
I helped her get her groceries checked out and brought her to my car. As I was driving her to where she lived, I started telling her about God and His love. That God wanted to “love” on her today. Then I made an alter call. I asked her if she had ever asked Jesus Christ into her life for the forgiveness of her sins. I mean, the car was moving. Was she going to jump out to go the bathroom as some do when the minister does this in church? She said she had, but as she told me her story, it became apparent she hadn’t invited Him to be active in her life. I encouraged her to ask Him for help.
I got her delivered to the correct address faster than Uber Eats! I made it to my appointment with only minutes to spare. That wasn’t my plan. The nurse wanted to know why my blood pressure was high. LOL, I said, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
I know God needed someone to remind the woman that He was still there and that despite some of her life choices, He still loved her. Honestly, I was humbled that He picked me. I got teary-eyed when I realized that a few minutes of my time could ultimately change that woman’s life and her address for eternity. If you say you love God, then you have to love people.
19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.20-21 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.1 John 4:19-21 (MSG)
On any spring Friday afternoon in a small town in Iowa, there is a baseball game. It is for anyone who wants to play, who used to play, or who wants to sit, watch, and root for their favorite team. As for me, I used to play pee-wee ball. I was never very good compared to the other boys my age. I had severe allergies, so, therefore, my muscles were not as developed as theirs were. Since I couldn’t play like they did, the coach would have me run bases after he hit the ball in different locations on the field. Since that is what I practiced, I became good at base running.
But this story isn’t about me. However, I will add the fact that on game day, when we were wearing our jerseys, they would make me “Brady” sit to the left of the other bench warmer, whose last name was “Bunch.”
No, this story is about Harry Stamford. He played second base on the team opposing mine. Harry was good. Actually, he was an outstanding player. He seemed to be gifted in knowing where to put the ball in play.
In one particular game, I made it to second. Harry got mad because he barely missed the tag that would have thrown me out. Seeing his disappointment in himself, I began teasing and harassing him when I happened to look down, and I saw a tear in the base. I went on to score, but our team still lost. After the game, I asked my coach about the rip in second base. I asked, “What damaged second base, and why hasn’t it been replaced?” He immediately shushed me as he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me.
He leaned into me and said, “During a game about twenty years ago, Harry was on second base when all of a sudden, there was a flash of light, and something hit the bag, tearing it. Harry fell, and so the umpire called “time” to see if he was alright. He said something scraped the back of his leg. We raised his pant leg, and there was a bleeding scratch, so we bandaged it. Harry said he was okay with staying in. After the game, when I was gathering the bases, I saw the rip and reached in. I found a rock. I took it to the community college here in town, where the science professor identified it as a small meteor. Ever since that day, we have noticed that Harry’s baseball skills have improved, and he plays like a young man in his late twenties, but we don’t talk about it.” “Would you believe Harry is 79 years old?”
“Wow! That’s an amazing story, and no, I certainly had no idea he was that old.” After that day, I stopped heckling Harry anytime I was on second base. And I started watching him closer.
One afternoon, before the end of the season, I noticed Harry getting out of his car. He was moving very slowly, although he still had on his uniform as if he was going to play. I walked over to him and apologized for all of the times I had heckled him when on second base. He said, “It’s okay. Just part of the game.” I then took his arm to help him to his team’s dugout. I asked, “Harry, are you okay?” He sat slowly on the bench and replied, “I saw my doctor on Monday. He said I have a fast-moving cancer. He told me to get my affairs in order.” I knelt and said, “Harry, I am so sorry to hear that.” He looked into my eyes and said, “I will miss my wife, family, and grandchildren. I will also miss playing baseball, and maybe you.” I laughed and then told him I would be praying for him.
The other players showed up, and the game was about to start when one player on Harry’s team noticed Harry’s eyes were shut, and he was slumped over. One of the doctors in our small town came to the dugout and, after a few minutes, announced that Harry was gone. A silence grew over the ballfield as word got out. They laid Harry down on the bench, and his best friend went over the flagpole. He lowered the flag but then removed it and used it to cover Harry’s body. He told everyone that Harry was a veteran.
“Now what?” asked one of his teammates. His coach said, “I think Harry would want us to play ball, so let’s go out there and win this one for Harry,” and they did.
The following week, Harry’s funeral was held. There were a lot of people in attendance, and many spoke publicly of Harry’s life and how he had not only helped them in one way or another but also talked to them about God and always asked if they wanted to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Many of them said they did.
Some may look back and say that the meteor gave Harry Stamford some extra strength that day while he was playing second base. I would say that it was God who was so pleased with Harry’s life and witness that He blessed him with what he needed to do the things that he enjoyed.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Accept Jesus and truly live life.
My whole life, people laughed at me. They called me names that weren’t the ones my mother and father gave me. And what they called me hurt, too. When I was young, I would get mad and try to fight, but I usually only wound up getting beaten. As I got older, I would laugh along, but it still hurt deep inside.
What I should be called is Zacchaeus. In case you don’t know me, I am short. In a crowd, I am easy to miss or overlook. As I just mentioned, I was an easy target for jokes and for being picked on in general. I always tried to think of ways to get back with people. It usually didn’t work. It seemed as if someone would always see me and report me to the one I was trying to get even with. That usually resulted in more punishment and pain. Life was not that fun or even enjoyable.
Even as I grew up in the same town, people didn’t let up. They continued to heckle me mainly because of my size. I couldn’t believe how many ‘’short’’ jokes there were. There definitely was no ‘’shortage’’ of them. Just when I thought I had heard them all, someone would come up with a new one. I simply wanted to fit in. To be accepted. Not to be known as the short man with the short fuse.
When I was coming to the end of my education, I still hadn’t decided what career path to take. My father was putting a lot of pressure on me to decide. Then I thought of the perfect job for me to do. I would become a tax collector. That seemed like a good choice. If I wanted to, I could get back with everyone in town. There would be nothing they could do concerning their taxes because I would have Rome backing me up. I liked it. My father was disappointed, though. He said, ‘’Son, listen to me. No one likes to pay taxes, and they hate the tax collector just as much.’’ I quickly replied by shouting, “THEY ALREADY HATE ME!’’ “Well, then, you have nothing to lose. Just be an honest tax collector. Keep good records,” he retorted.
I tried, but I was always tempted to get even with those that laughed at me. An honest tax collector is unheard of. I would overtax on purpose, and when I did get caught, I paid the property owner back four times what he had overpaid. No other tax collector would do this. I really thought it would help with my reputation. It didn’t that much. The people still picked on me. I guess it never dawned on them to treat me nicely, and perhaps I would be nice to them. I wanted to treat people right out of respect and honor to my father, but at times, I couldn’t overcome the temptation. Life continued like this year after year. People kept teasing me, and I kept taxing them, according to Rome.
Then, one day, we heard news of a man coming to Jericho. His name was Jesus. What we heard was he taught about a new way to live. He taught about the kingdom of God. We also heard that he could perform miracles. Just this news coming to our town performed one miracle, and that was people forgot about teasing me. They were too busy talking about him.
The next day, people were clamoring for a good spot to see and hear this man Jesus. I went to work that morning as usual but found shops closed. I was thinking, Is this a holiday? Then I remembered what was happening that day. Evidently, I must have a short memory too. Because I was so late getting to the party, all of the good spots to see Jesus were taken. Every place I could think of that would get me elevated enough to see over the crowd was gone. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I started panicking when I heard the roar of the crowd getting louder and more excited. I thought they must be able to see something, I thought. I really didn’t want to miss it. Or should I say, “I didn’t want to miss him.” I mean, this was the biggest thing that hit my town since the walls came down. I wanted to see a miracle just like everyone else did, but I mainly wanted to see the man who proclaimed to be the Son of God.
I believed in God. I had learned about God when studying The Tora, and from my father. My father was a firm believer in God and His words. He also believed in the prophecies of the coming King. That is why I wanted to see this man, Jesus, so badly. It was difficult to believe that these prophesies could come to pass in my time, but why not in my time? I mean, they had to come to pass in someone’s time. If this indeed was the Son of God, and I believed that it was, then I wasn’t going to miss it.
I ran fast ahead of the crowd. I found a sycamore tree that would hold me, but I could also climb. I scrambled up the tree fast. I got squared away by finding a branch to hold on to. I certainly didn’t want to start getting teased for falling out of a tree. I knew I would hear jokes just for climbing the tree in the first place, but I didn’t care. I tore away at the big leaves this tree produces so nothing would block my view.
Here he came down the street, where I was excitedly waiting. My heart was pounding as my anxiousness grew. Oh my goodness! Any second now, I should be able to see the Son of God! I remembered thinking. There he was. Moving slowly down the street. Talking to different ones. Perhaps teaching as he answered their questions. Then he stopped and reached over to a paralyzed man lying next to the street. Jesus had to part the crowd to get to him, but when he did, he touched him. He said something, but I couldn’t make it out. The next thing I knew, the paralyzed man jumped up and started screaming with happiness, for now he was healed.
Jesus continued down the street. I did well. I had picked out a good spot. Now, as he got close, I could see and hear him. When he got right up, even with the tree I was in, he stopped. I thought, oh boy! He is going to perform another miracle right in front of me. Well, he sort of did. He turned, looked right up at me, and said, “Zacchaeus, come down out of that tree, for today I will be a guest at your house.” I couldn’t believe what I had just heard! No one could. First of all, he knew my name. Secondly, he didn’t make any short jokes. Thirdly, he wanted to be a guest at my house. No one socialized with a tax collector except another tax collector. This man was no tax collector. He didn’t come to take but to give.
Those that heard Jesus say this and were shocked. They were also indigent. They felt Jesus had no business being with me, much less in my house as a guest. They considered me a crook, and to be honest, at times, I was. When Jesus got to my home a little bit later, we talked. I asked him why he was there. He called me a son of Abraham and then said today was the day of salvation. When those words came out of his mouth, I felt a warm sensation in my heart.
That day and every day since I not only knew for a fact that Jesus was the Son of God, but I also believed. I continued to be a tax collector, but now I was truly an honest tax collector. I was able to bring honor to my father after all. For those who were struggling to pay their taxes, I helped. Some would get caught up with what they owed and pay me back. Others never did, but I never told anyone. Little by little, as people saw the difference in me, they knew I had been in the presence of Jesus and that my encounter had changed me. I was even able to witness to others and, through my encounter, see their lives change as well. Suppose one might say that in life, I didn’t come up short after all.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Luke 19:1-9)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
I once thought my thirst couldn’t be quenched, but that was before. Before I met the man who out of him I drew living waters. I’m getting ahead of myself.
I guess you might call me a strong-minded woman. I mean, others have. So what if I think of something and want to do it or say it? But some people, especially most men, have a real issue with that. I don’t understand why women have to be quiet in some places and, especially, around men. We’re just as smart as they are! Being like that has always gotten me into a lot of trouble. Even when I was a young girl growing up at home. I stood up to my father and challenged his teachings. That frustrated him to no end. He would even tell me, with my mouth, that I would have trouble keeping a man if I could even find one. My mother tried to change me, but I am also very stubborn.
Well, it turns out my father was right. I guess the men I married all thought they could change me after we were married. I certainly didn’t try to hide who I really was. There couldn’t have been any great surprises. I would think they all had to know what they were getting into. Perhaps they thought they were up for the challenge, but I have seen that when a strong woman challenges a man, it just drives him crazy. The man will usually either respond by trying to reason with me, get mad and walk away, or strike me. I don’t put up with that last response at all. I always tell them, “You just made a horrible mistake. Don’t ever do it again.” Of course, they don’t appreciate being told this either. I begin to think I should have been born later in time. I’m hoping women are treated differently at some point.
Husband number one: After I got married, he told me he was going to train me to be a proper woman. I had to laugh. I told him, “You know what I was like, so if you didn’t like it, why in the world would you marry me?” He replied by saying, “I thought sure I could change you.” I taught him that women like me don’t want to be trained. We want to be understood and accepted for who we are. I was only with husband number one for five months. We were arguing about what I should be doing around the house, and after an hour or so, I guess his tolerance level had been maxed out, and he struck me. I did stop talking. Instead, I gathered what I could hang on to in my arms and left the house. I went over to my girlfriend’s house. We talked about what had happened. She agreed with everything I had told my husband but suggested that life would be easier if I just kept my mouth shut and did whatever he asked me to.
He asked me to come back without even apologizing for what he had done. Foolishly, I did. Things were okay for a while, but then another argument came up. After he hit me for the second time, I told him I wanted a divorce. I got the piece of paper, but that was it. I guess he thought I would come crawling back to him if I couldn’t make it on my own. Ha! I’m cute, I thought. I’ll get by.
Husband number two: I tried to be more careful with the second man. I gave him more time to get to know me. I told him I was never going to change, and he said he accepted that. He courted me well. He would buy me nice things to wear. He would also buy jewelry. Fine gold necklaces and earrings. He traveled a lot. This is where he would get a lot of the gifts that were somewhat exotic for me. By that, I mean the things we didn’t see around here. It seemed as if he would buy me something after every trip. I told him he didn’t need to, but he always said he enjoyed showing me how much he loved me just as much as he liked telling me he loved me. And wow! He knew how to use words to express his love. The man’s tongue must have been as smooth as a nicely made clay jar. I think his ability to speak smoothly is what made him a successful businessman.
We did get married, and things seemed to be going well. I was happy with this man, and he seemed pleased with me. Perhaps this relationship was working because he got frequent breaks from me. He could get away from my stubborn personality and my unbridled mouth.
I learned from my girlfriend how to keep the house. I also learned from her that I should fix one of his favorite dishes for dinner on the days he was due to return home. I began thinking I had finally found a man who accepted me. We both settled into the rhythm of the relationship. We had even started to talk about children. Then, one day, I discovered a woman’s scarf in his dirty laundry. I knew it wasn’t mine, but I didn’t want to believe for even a moment that it belonged to another.
What is this? Why is it here? Where did it come from? These were the questions that I couldn’t answer, and I seriously doubted he would answer them. On the day he returned, I had the scarf around my neck. The look on his face answered all of the questions I had wondered. He stood there and gazed at me for a while. Then he bravely told me the truth. He told me he had another wife in another town. The town where he did most of his business. He assumed the lavish gifts would keep me quiet and help me never to question where he was and what he was really doing. He also admitted that I was a very strong woman and that he had never liked it, but that he enjoyed my beauty and my playful side, and that was why he married me. Then he spoke the real truth when he informed me that his trips gave him the breaks he needed from me.
Naturally, I was crushed. Life seemed so good. When he came home from his next trip, he handed me divorce papers. At least he was nice about it. He allowed me to take anything from the home I wanted or thought I would need. He gave me money, too. I didn’t want to live with a man whose heart was divided, but I wasn’t strong enough to ask him for a divorce. Perhaps my strength as a woman was fading. I was with him for two years.
Husband number three: After going through what I did with the first two husbands, I wanted to fight back. I wanted to hurt a man. Any man. I wanted to show them that a woman could play with one’s heart just as easily as they could. I went hunting for the right one. I would talk to them to see if they would expose any weaknesses. I wanted to learn if they were really in love with their woman or with her just for play. I wanted to try to find a man whose heart was wicked. One whose love would be untrue. I’m sad to say it didn’t take long.
I found a shop owner who seemed to be the kind of man I wanted to hurt. He was married, had several children, a high position on the town council, and a successful business. He had a lot to lose. As a bonus, I got to know his wife. A woman who thought she was the queen of Sychar, the town I lived in. She would so easily speak ill of anyone for any reason. I knew if I could pull this off, it would be a major victory.
I knew I would have to be very subtle in my plan to seduce him. I would have to start small. I would have to hold my tongue at times. Instead of my usual way, I would have to say words that a man likes to hear. I would have to list in front of him his greatness, his wealth, his status, and his power.
I put my plan into action. I would go by this man’s shop at first every other day. I would hope that on the days he didn’t see me in the flesh, he would see me in his mind that his thoughts would be turned to me. That the thought of me would begin to consume his mind. I noticed that, as I flattered him, he would look at me differently than he would at other women shopping. He would smile. I could see my plan working.
Then I started going there every day. Each visit seemed to last longer and longer. I held back from expressing my views and opinions. I complimented him on how smart he was and how he appeared to be extremely wealthy. I could see that, with each day and with each conversation, he was buying my act. And oh, how I made him pay!
It wasn’t long before he asked me to enter his shop via the back door. In the back room, he talked very seductively to me, and then he got comfortable enough to touch my arm or hold my hand. Then, one day, he leaned over and kissed me. He wanted to go further, but I told him, “No.” I informed him that if he wanted more, he would have to get a divorce first and then marry me. He let me know he was married. After weeks of playing around, I told him he needed to make a decision. Either her or me. Four days went by before he told me of his decision. He picked me. I couldn’t believe it.
It took what seemed like forever, but we got married, and I moved into his house. His previous wife was furious. She, really, was the one that started the rumors around town about me. She called me a home wrecker. My new husband told me not to let it bother me, but it did.
It was time for “Act 3” after I got him to trust me totally. I took most of the jewelry he gave and sold it. I took most of the clothes he had bought me over to my girlfriend’s house. Then, I hid whatever money I could get my hands on. When I had done all of this, I told him I wanted a divorce. He was devastated. As a result, he lost his position on the town council. He had to sell his business. His ex-wife wouldn’t come back to him. His children despised him. The feeling of victory didn’t last long enough.
Husband number four: This man was much older than the previous two. In fact, he was a lot older than I was. He was old enough to be my father, and he was a friend of my father’s. That is how I first met him. My father had invited him over to celebrate one of our holidays. At first, it felt really odd to fall in love with an older man, but I was drawn to him by his smile, and he was so funny. He made me laugh a lot. I always felt good when I was around him. He seemed as if he didn’t mind me for who I was, either. Maybe I made him feel young. I think, honestly, as people get older, they only get upset about the things that really matter. Somehow, they have figured out how to overlook the small things. Whatever it was, we seemed to work, and so when he proposed, I said, “Yes.”
Life was good with this man. Because he allowed me to be me, I found myself wanting to please him. For the first time, I felt like a man listened to me. He may not have always liked what I said, but he let me speak my mind. Occasionally, he would counter what I had said, but the difference between him and other men is he let me finish what I was saying first. I guess with him, I saw his respect and love. He would also ask me what I was thinking or what I thought about a particular subject. He would even engage me in matters of government. No man had ever done that before. I really loved this man. I think that is why his sudden illness and death took such a toll on me.
He had gotten sick, it seems, overnight. I had the physician come to our house, but it turns out there was nothing he could do. He gave me some powder, and I was instructed to mix it in water. I did this faithfully, but it didn’t seem to work. He passed away within a week. He left me lots of wealth, but I lost more than anything money could buy. I had lost love. I missed him so much. We had no children together, so I couldn’t share my grief with anyone who loved him as much as I did. My mourning lasted well over a year. Others tried to console me. I would smile and say, “Thanks.” But then when I was alone again, the hurt would come flooding back in.
Husband number five: About a year went by when I began feeling my heart had room to allow the love of another man. I truly missed the way my last husband accepted me and loved me. I missed his soft touch. I missed him brushing my hair. I missed him. I wondered if I would ever find another like the one I had lost. I decided it was time to look for another.
I put myself out there again. I met a couple of men, but they didn’t even come close to the kind of man I had. Then, one day, my girlfriend mentioned someone to me. I was skeptical at first. I hung out with him for a while. I didn’t disclose to him that I thought he was cute. I figured the longer I could hide my growing feelings for this man, the more I would see his true nature. He did seem to accept me. He was kind. He was hard-working. I told my girlfriend I liked him. Then I told him.
We got married the following month after a holiday. Everything seemed to be going well. It’s funny, after what I’ve been through with men, that I find myself trusting them so easily. Now that I was older, I had calmed down a bit with my mouth. Also, I had accepted what a woman in my time was supposed to do around the house. My girlfriend was proud of me.
The first sign of problems was when my husband told me he had lost his money belt. He said he needed to pay for some things at the market and asked me where I kept the money my last husband had left me with. I paused, and he yelled, ‘’What? You don’t trust your husband?’’ I thought about it some more, and then I told him where it was. I had the thought one can’t have real love without trust. So now he knew. Then, about two weeks later, he told me he had taken some so he could invest in a really promising business deal. I begin to get suspicious a little.
A month later, I asked him one evening how that business deal worked out. He first asked, ‘’what business deal?’’ Then he said, ‘’O yeah. That one. Real good. Really good. In fact, it’s so good I may need to borrow more until the first deal really gets going. You know, up and running. On its own feet, so to speak, but I promise you will get so much more back in return.’’
Six months later, I realized I hadn’t looked at the place where I had kept the money for some time. I couldn’t believe what I found. Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Everything was gone. All of the money. All of the precious jewels. Everything my past husband had given me. Gone. I just sat there on the floor and cried. I was sick to my stomach. How could I be so stupid? How could I have trusted him with so much? What did he do with it all? There was enough there to last both of us a lifetime. I was still lying there on the floor when he got home. He looked at me and said, ‘’I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Those business deals didn’t work out after all.’’
I looked up at him with my soar bloodshot eyes and said, ‘’Tell me the truth. I deserve to know the truth.’’. He was silent for a long time, and then he said, ‘’I lost it all gambling.’’ “How could you?” I replied. Then, it all became clear to me. He just put up with me and married me for the money he suspected I had. He knew my previous husband and knew he had been a very successful businessman. Then, I learned another truth. My husband had lost his job several months ago. I was devastated. Needless to say, we got divorced.
The boyfriend: I needed help now to live. I was not able to survive on my own after my wealth was wiped out. Things were bad for me. Not only did I feel like a failure, I had to put up with the talk around town. People would stare and make comments whenever I walked by. They acted as if they thought I couldn’t hear them, but they knew the truth was I did. Their words hurt, but I just kept my head down and would keep going.
Because I became a social outcast, I found it less hurtful to draw water from the well at noon. The hot sun hurt, too, but at least it kept its commentary concerning my life to itself. My new life wasn’t the greatest, but I managed. The day-to-day duties kept my mind occupied most of the time. Then one day when I went to the well this man was there. I knew he was a Jew. Then he did the oddest thing. He spoke to me. You see, in my day, a Jew did not speak to a Samaritan. He asked for a drink of water. Then he said, ‘’Woman if you knew who I am, you would ask me for a drink.’’ I looked at him kind of crazy like and said, ‘’The well is deep, and you don’t even have a means to draw the water.’’ He went on to say, ‘’The water I speak of comes from within me. If you drank of it, you would never thirst again.’’ I certainly wanted some of this water, for I was so tired of hauling it. I asked him for some of this living water. He then told me to get my husband and come back. I wasn’t sure what to say.
After realizing this man didn’t know me or my reputation, I felt safe telling him that I had no husband. Then, the most amazing thing happened. He looked at me with tenderness and said, ‘’That’s nicely put. For you have had five husbands, and the man you are currently living with isn’t your husband.’’ I responded by saying that he must be a prophet. Then we talked about which mountain to worship on, and he informed me that one day, it won’t matter where you worship God, and even better, it won’t matter what you are called. That the only thing that will really matter is your heart. If you worship God in spirit and in truth. I wasn’t sure about all of this. I told him that, and I informed him that one day, the Messiah would show up to set it all straight. He then told me, ‘’I am He.’’
I ran back to town and started telling everyone, no matter what they thought of me, about this man at the well who knew everything about me. I challenged them by saying, ‘’I think this man is the Messiah! He was able to tell me everything about my life.’’ They all went out to see him for themselves.
I realized later in life that I was made the way I was for that very moment. In other words, I was not afraid to speak out loud to anyone. I was not afraid to express my views, beliefs, or convictions. After the day that went well, I never missed an opportunity to share with anyone about the Messiah, this man named Jesus.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 4:1-42)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
brady, mark a. 