God has a sense of humour indeed! When we want to insure our cars, there is a
certain amount of money that must be made to ensure that if ever we are ever at
risk of losing a vehicle due to theft, or an accident, or that random distant
cousin whose connection to the family is pending confirmation, that money would
ensure that we got the vehicle back in good shape, or got another vehicle. The same is the case, give or take, for a
health insurance scheme. God also has an insurance scheme for heaven. In fact
he has many insurance schemes for heaven, but we will look at one of them.
A
while ago, Sweets said she wanted us to have a discussion. Pause to ensure that
the reader understands the gravity of the preceding line. When we have that as an intro to a discussion, I
usually know it is a serious discussion, I mean a very serious discussion. So
we went somewhere quiet and she expressed in a few words how she was very
uncomfortable with a particular phone call I just received.
Really?! Yes…she
affirmed. She could not put her finger
on what exactly it was but she was
VERY uncomfortable with it, she didn't think that all was well between me and
the lady I had just finished speaking with. Ok? Let’s you and I backtrack a bit
here. One of my various accomplishments in life (one among them being modesty) is
my ability to ask questions, and even when I was much younger, I realized I
found a way to wear people out by the sheer persistent barrage of questions I
had in my arsenal, so I unleashed upon the present discussion a series of
rational questions to un-earth the facts and the “intangibles”. Was it the way
I said hello?? No. Was my voice not loud enough? No. Did I go to a secluded
corner to take the call? No. Ok, is there anything
you heard me say that was uncomfortable to you? No. Well! There you go! There is nothing to worry about.
But she insisted there was a problem with
this lady and wanted the discussions to cease forthwith. Her only point was,
"there is just a way you sound….” I
must have heard a pin drop in my mind. I mean such was the silence that
followed. Yes! Silence is the ONLY answer at your disposal when you are faced
with such a logical answer as “there’s
just a way you sound”…… that right there, is a proper example of when to
start familiarizing oneself with any and all the exits. No time like the
present to perfect the art of sleeping with eyes wide open.
Needless to say we
had this discussion a few more times in the marriage (at least nearly every
time I spoke with this particular person). So eventually, belatedly so, realising
this was becoming an issue, I cut the relationship and the calls. The result?
Blessed peace in the home. Small problem though, seeing that this was still a
young marriage, I worried that I was setting up a dangerous trend and she would
now be able to raise anything she was randomly uncomfortable with and I would
be obliged to respond as I did with this one.
One day, many weeks after leaving behind
that friendship, I was before the Lord and the Holy Spirit brought up that
relationship. Somehow, as is wont to happen in God’s Presence, I came face to
face with the condition of my heart and realized that there truly had been a
problem there. I saw that I had covered it up with the discussions, but now I
could see that even the lady herself was leaning heavily into a relationship
that would not have been godly. So I thanked the Lord and thanked Sweets explaining
to her how I could now see that she was right about that relationship. It was
then I renamed my relationship with Sweets. It had become one of God’s tools to
ensure that I make heaven. And the reverse is true as well for her.
A personal principle came out of that
experience. If something will destroy my walk with God, or will threaten my
making heaven, and I don't see it coming, the Holy Spirit will ensure that my spouse becomes SO uncomfortable about it that
I would HAVE to stop and make a U-turn.
Now while it is true that NOT everything
a spouse complains about will be the Holy Spirit working, (yup that’s right.
Let’s all stop giving each other those smug “I told you so” looks) it is also
true that should that one event come that could take heaven away from me (and
it most likely will. The devil is not happy), it most likely will be my spouse
that God will use above everyone else to stop me in my tracks. It may result in
quarrels, fights, arguments, leaving the house, pouring plenty salt in the soup…..or
not. It could be anything.
My prayer is that the Lord will grant us ALL the humility
to see these things clearly. To recognise them for what they are. God’s life assurance
- through our spouses - to keep us from falling, in the Name of our Lord Jesus the Christ, Amen.
Akan Jacobs
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