Page 66 of Echoes of Eternity

“Because the act has no benefit to us and it doesn’t go contrary to the Word of God.”

Ouch . . . she thought inside.

As they worked the rest of their time through the story of the unforgiving servant, Emily kept thinking over the situation with Ryan.

Joyce said, “We never want God to stop forgiving us, but we often want to stop forgiving others. Does that mean being abused is okay?”

A woman raised her hand. As Joyce met her gaze, she spoke. “No. Forgiving someone who is repeatedly physically or emotionally abusive doesn’t honor God.”

“Close.” Joyce smiled. “Just because you forgive someone doesn’t mean you have to allow the mistreatment. Maybe, for instance, a man beats a woman. She would need to remove herself from the home. Divorce? Separation until he gets help? These are all valid options depending on the situation, the woman, and the circumstances. Seek Godly counsel and lean on the Lord to guide you.”

“What about if your husband is just a jerk?” another woman asked.

“Try to talk to him,” another woman responded. “My husband used to work long hours, and it was really hard on our marriage and the kids. I talked to him, and we started seeing a counselor, and things got better, but it took time.”

Emily listened to everything intently, feeling like she wanted to share with the group, but she felt scared to do so.

A little old lady who had been quiet most of the night cleared her throat and shook her head. “It’s funny we’re talking so much about husbands. I just got in a fight with my husband, Tom, this afternoon. I caught him lying about some finances again. The details don’t matter, but I was upset. I feel like I can’t trust him when he’s just a liar.”

“It’s hard to have trust when someone lies.” Joyce looked around the room. “What are some ways you ladies have navigated this in your own marriages? Could anyone help encourage their sister in Christ?”

Emily looked around, praying and hoping someone would speak up.

Nobody spoke.

Joyce smiled. “It’s not an easy topic. I believe forgiveness, like we’ve been learning, is in order, but also, seeking to unearth why the lie existed in the first place might be in order. Communication is such a big part of marriage.”

“Right.” The older lady smiled. “Or he could just stop being dumb.”

All the ladies chuckled.

“That too.” Joyce smiled. “It’s important to remember just like God has a plan for our lives, the enemy has one as well. He has a plan to take you down, to kill you and your family. It’s extreme, but it’s the truth. We have to be on guard.”

Lifting her heart toward Heaven, Emily couldn’t help but smile and nod as she glanced momentarily toward the ceiling. This is why You wanted me here, isn’t it, God?

After the study ended, she sought Brittany out. “Hey. Is there anything I can do to help out with the move this week?”

Shrugging, Brittany scrunched her nose. “I don’t know . . .”

Touching her arm, Emily smiled. “Come on, please let me help? Even if it’s just helping with your little ones.”

Lifting her eyebrows, she smiled. “I could always use a little extra muscle. And of course, my kids are going to need to be occupied as I move stuff.”

“I’ll talk to my dad tonight. He’s strong.”

“Okay! Here, let me give you my phone number.”

Exchanging numbers, Emily then went and found her kids and left to go back to her parents’ house. She couldn’t believe she had almost let the exhaustion of her workday stop her from attending. The study had been such an encouragement, even if it was quite convicting as well.

Later that night, back at the house, she found her father in his study. She knocked.

“Come in.”

She walked in.

“How was your Bible study?”

“Good. Actually, it was great!”

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