God Uses Experiences to Teach His Precepts
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32-32
Mother and Daddy’s relationship had always been turbulent at best and unbearable at worst. Daddy was brilliant, but he suffered with uncontrolled and not properly treated bipolar depression. Their arguments usually ended in physical altercations when I was a child, and of course, that terrified me.
Mother decided to leave Dad and come to my house for “protection” which was actually a form of manipulation to get her own way. Daddy was livid and wrote many threatening letters to me, he could be quite intimidating. Finally, while Mark and I were out he came to our home and, so I thought, broke in. Actually Mother had left the back door open on purpose. She hit the panic alarm button for the police.
Bobby, only three years old told me Mother ran to get Jonathan, four months old, and physically placed him between Dad and herself. I did not know this at the time; I just thought Dad had broken into our home. When I saw the anger and overwhelming rage on his face I told him to get some help or never return to my home again. He replied, I will not do that for you and I said don’t do it for me do it for yourself.
Mark had to reinforce my words and for a moment I thought they were going to physically fight. But the whole situation seemed to “strike a chord” of reality in him. The next few days Dad checked into the psychiatric unit in a hospital in another city. In time I forgave both of them but Mother never made any attempt to regain my trust during Jonathan’s lifetime. I learned the precept that forgiveness must occur but trust must be earned.
Prayer: Lord, give us understanding that mental illness must be dealt with not hidden. It affects every relationship in our life.
Thought: Is there someone in your family that needs professional therapy and medication and most importantly prayer and forgiveness for their actions when under the influence of the disease of mental illness?
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32-32
Mother and Daddy’s relationship had always been turbulent at best and unbearable at worst. Daddy was brilliant, but he suffered with uncontrolled and not properly treated bipolar depression. Their arguments usually ended in physical altercations when I was a child, and of course, that terrified me.
Mother decided to leave Dad and come to my house for “protection” which was actually a form of manipulation to get her own way. Daddy was livid and wrote many threatening letters to me, he could be quite intimidating. Finally, while Mark and I were out he came to our home and, so I thought, broke in. Actually Mother had left the back door open on purpose. She hit the panic alarm button for the police.
Bobby, only three years old told me Mother ran to get Jonathan, four months old, and physically placed him between Dad and herself. I did not know this at the time; I just thought Dad had broken into our home. When I saw the anger and overwhelming rage on his face I told him to get some help or never return to my home again. He replied, I will not do that for you and I said don’t do it for me do it for yourself.
Mark had to reinforce my words and for a moment I thought they were going to physically fight. But the whole situation seemed to “strike a chord” of reality in him. The next few days Dad checked into the psychiatric unit in a hospital in another city. In time I forgave both of them but Mother never made any attempt to regain my trust during Jonathan’s lifetime. I learned the precept that forgiveness must occur but trust must be earned.
Prayer: Lord, give us understanding that mental illness must be dealt with not hidden. It affects every relationship in our life.
Thought: Is there someone in your family that needs professional therapy and medication and most importantly prayer and forgiveness for their actions when under the influence of the disease of mental illness?
