A Lesson

Gosh! Almost two weeks since the last entry.

Well, just in case anyone reading here might be bothered by the inconsistency in the entries, be aware that I post here only as God requires - these posts are His.

The last several days the Lord has had me listening, not speaking.

Now, to the lesson.

About 18 months ago my mother-in-law died. She and I had issues, but we worked through them as they arose. Her death was a merciful event as she was suffering in many ways.

Following her death, my father-in-law, began a game wherein he tried to gather my wife and her siblings to him, as if he were trying to be a comfort and a strength, throwing about grandiose promises of "family" and safe harbor - promises of closeness never shown before.

Of course they were merely moves in the game.

Within two weeks he revealed that he had another woman (supposedly suddenly reappearing in his life just at the time of his wife's passing), this woman being an old flame, and that they intended to marry.

Suddenly, all the promises were forgotten, as his "plan" was to sell out, move away and "cut all ties" to be with this woman, the one he should have married 40 years ago.

We have watched as my wife's brother and sister have spiraled deeper and deeper into depression and despondency.

And it has occurred to me that I had just witnessed a sacrifice.

My father-in-law had sacrificed these 2 children by gaming them and then taking away the dangling prize in order to get this woman he thought was what he wanted.

Whether it has turned out like he imagined is another story for another day.

Still, a lesson learned. Even in small-town white-bread America, the games and sacrificing to the world system is a daily requirement for those willing to sell out for the here and now.

Slowly, daily, we are reaching these two with the Gospel and the hope of Christ, but how close it came to a completed sacrifice.

Thank you Jesus for opening our eyes and keeping us in Him - what a mercy that has been and is.