Wormwood

Most of us cannot see beyond the emotion when it comes to our own situation but we are very objective when dealing with the situation of others. This is the primary reason we seek counsel from those we are sure have no emotional interest in our situation and can objectively tell us the truth or steer us in the right direction.

A woman had a female friend who was a widow. This widow has five children, her husband left her a mansion, several cars and some good money in the bank with which she kick started life after his demise.

This friend of hers was separated from her husband, she was a full housewife before she got separated and also had five children. When she walked away from the marriage, she had nothing! Her children also had nothing. The man simply moved on with another woman without as much as a backward glance.  The two women became each other’s companions.

They would go to church together and sometimes the separated one would pick up crumbs from the table of the widow to feed her children. Economically, the widow had it all, she even had a good job as the HR of an accounting firm.

Time flew by. The widow sent four of her children abroad. The children of the separated woman also began to do well. The first travelled abroad, the second did and also the third.

The widow started traveling abroad to nurse her grandchildren. The separated one soon started traveling abroad too for the same purpose.

They remained friends and whenever they are abroad (in the same country) they would arrange to meet and fellowship. Sometimes in New Jersey or Texas. Their children were all doing well except one of the sons of the widow who somehow took to drugs, impregnated a lady and refused to finish his education.

One day the widow said to the separated woman. “Sister, your children are doing well, buying houses and settling down into life the right way while one of mine has been a thorn in my side. I think God is unfair in this regard, I didn’t divorce or get separated from my husband. I stayed with him through thick and thin until he died and you are the one whose children are all thriving despite breaking your home and not keeping your marital vow sacred above all. It is a puzzle. I find difficult to swallow.”

Wow. The separated woman didn’t believe her friend could say this.

She spoke to her children. “My friend said such and such.” Her children told her to stop the friendship immediately. “Mummy, we were poor when we knew her and she was rich. She always saw you as a charity case and now she can’t believe how fast we are rising on the social ladder. She is envious of you and this is not good for you. Please cut her off!”

She understood what her children were saying but if one cuts off every friend for making certain comments, one would have no friends to play with eventually, she reasoned.

She continued with the friendship. Then her first daughter got divorced and within two years of the divorce, she got remarried and got a job as a lecturer in a medical school in America The widow couldn’t believe it She said “Are we not serving the same God? How can we be friends when you only have good news and I have not seen the one thing making me cry change over the years. My son is your daughter’s age mate My son has neither changed nor improved but your daughter stumbled only to find herself on top of the ladder again. I don’t feel comfortable in this friendship anymore. I feel like you are making me feel inadequate as a mother and I am not comfortable with that We are both Christians and yet, God is partial towards you.”

Wow! Their relationship cooled off after this. The widow would always give an excuse to keep away from her friend. This went on for four years, then the widow saw on Facebook the housewarming pictures of her friend. One of her friend’s sons had built her a mansion in Nigeria and she came home to that pleasant gift. This widow lady found her way to Nigeria to visit her old friend.  She couldn’t believe how things had turned around for her friend.

They were both in their seventies by this time. The widow had three medical doctors and one accountant as her children. One still had not made anything of his life at 48. The divorced woman had only two nurses, one farmer, one prison warden, and one lawyer as her children; and yet all her children had built houses. Three had multiple houses in Nigeria and abroad. They were all married with children and doing very well while the children of the widow were doing well but not as well as the children of her friend.

She was sure it was not ordinary. The mathematics didn’t add up and she was sure there was something fishy. She went to a spiritualist to find out how she had offended God in order to make amends. The spiritualist told her the divorced friend was using her glory. “She “What do I do?” Asked the widow. “Go and get me her nightgown and I will return your aura to you.” Said the spiritualist. This widow believed the spiritualist because his theory lent credence to her conviction. She visited her friend and spent a week in the mansion her son built for her.  Somehow she got the night gown.

All she wanted was a return of her glory. She forgot that even while her husband was alive, their troublesome son was a truant who stabbed classes and wouldn’t study! She chose to outsource the truth and believe a lie. 

The spiritualist took the night gown and began to dupe her of her resources. He told her she and her children would come into sudden wealth but sacrifices must be made. Within a year, she had sold the house her husband left her. Her children had become quite concerned about her that instead of their fortunes blooming, it began to wither. She eventually told them the truth when they got a pastor involved. The pastor told her she owed her friend an apology and the truth. She was envious and that evil feeling took over her reality. She and her children went to visit her friend. She told her friend the truth and asked her friend to forgive her. Her friend happily did so and prayed for her and her children.

On their way home she asked her first child if it is not ridiculous that God allowed a divorced woman to prosper to the point where she was the one that prayed for her in order for her lost fortune to be restored.

She said “I stayed faithful to my marriage vows, I didn’t give any excuses and my husband was not a saint. This woman couldn’t even keep hold of her own husband and now she is better off than me in every way. She was the one that blessed me and forgave me. Isn’t that ironical?”

Her daughter told her it was that mindset that prevented her from rising. “Mummy, envy pegs your rise in every way. You must do away with it otherwise things will become worse than this for you and every one of us. Stop being friends with this woman, if this is the only way you see her. Be grateful for life and things will change.”

She said she would try.

Deal with Envy, it is a destiny killer.

Merry Christmas

 -GSW-

Most of us cannot see beyond the emotion when it comes to our own situation but we are very objective when dealing with the situation of others. This is the primary reason we seek counsel from those we are sure have no emotional interest in our situation and can objectively tell us the truth or steer us in the right direction.

A woman had a female friend who was a widow. This widow has five children, her husband left her a mansion, several cars and some good money in the bank with which she kick started life after his demise.

This friend of hers was separated from her husband, she was a full housewife before she got separated and also had five children. When she walked away from the marriage, she had nothing! Her children also had nothing. The man simply moved on with another woman without as much as a backward glance.  The two women became each other’s companions.

They would go to church together and sometimes the separated one would pick up crumbs from the table of the widow to feed her children. Economically, the widow had it all, she even had a good job as the HR of an accounting firm.

Time flew by. The widow sent four of her children abroad. The children of the separated woman also began to do well. The first travelled abroad, the second did and also the third.

The widow started traveling abroad to nurse her grandchildren. The separated one soon started traveling abroad too for the same purpose.

They remained friends and whenever they are abroad (in the same country) they would arrange to meet and fellowship. Sometimes in New Jersey or Texas. Their children were all doing well except one of the sons of the widow who somehow took to drugs, impregnated a lady and refused to finish his education.

One day the widow said to the separated woman. “Sister, your children are doing well, buying houses and settling down into life the right way while one of mine has been a thorn in my side. I think God is unfair in this regard, I didn’t divorce or get separated from my husband. I stayed with him through thick and thin until he died and you are the one whose children are all thriving despite breaking your home and not keeping your marital vow sacred above all. It is a puzzle. I find difficult to swallow.”

Wow. The separated woman didn’t believe her friend could say this.

She spoke to her children. “My friend said such and such.” Her children told her to stop the friendship immediately. “Mummy, we were poor when we knew her and she was rich. She always saw you as a charity case and now she can’t believe how fast we are rising on the social ladder. She is envious of you and this is not good for you. Please cut her off!”

She understood what her children were saying but if one cuts off every friend for making certain comments, one would have no friends to play with eventually, she reasoned.

She continued with the friendship. Then her first daughter got divorced and within two years of the divorce, she got remarried and got a job as a lecturer in a medical school in America The widow couldn’t believe it She said “Are we not serving the same God? How can we be friends when you only have good news and I have not seen the one thing making me cry change over the years. My son is your daughter’s age mate My son has neither changed nor improved but your daughter stumbled only to find herself on top of the ladder again. I don’t feel comfortable in this friendship anymore. I feel like you are making me feel inadequate as a mother and I am not comfortable with that We are both Christians and yet, God is partial towards you.”

Wow! Their relationship cooled off after this. The widow would always give an excuse to keep away from her friend. This went on for four years, then the widow saw on Facebook the housewarming pictures of her friend. One of her friend’s sons had built her a mansion in Nigeria and she came home to that pleasant gift. This widow lady found her way to Nigeria to visit her old friend.  She couldn’t believe how things had turned around for her friend.

They were both in their seventies by this time. The widow had three medical doctors and one accountant as her children. One still had not made anything of his life at 48. The divorced woman had only two nurses, one farmer, one prison warden, and one lawyer as her children; and yet all her children had built houses. Three had multiple houses in Nigeria and abroad. They were all married with children and doing very well while the children of the widow were doing well but not as well as the children of her friend.

She was sure it was not ordinary. The mathematics didn’t add up and she was sure there was something fishy. She went to a spiritualist to find out how she had offended God in order to make amends. The spiritualist told her the divorced friend was using her glory. “She “What do I do?” Asked the widow. “Go and get me her nightgown and I will return your aura to you.” Said the spiritualist. This widow believed the spiritualist because his theory lent credence to her conviction. She visited her friend and spent a week in the mansion her son built for her.  Somehow she got the night gown.

All she wanted was a return of her glory. She forgot that even while her husband was alive, their troublesome son was a truant who stabbed classes and wouldn’t study! She chose to outsource the truth and believe a lie. 

The spiritualist took the night gown and began to dupe her of her resources. He told her she and her children would come into sudden wealth but sacrifices must be made. Within a year, she had sold the house her husband left her. Her children had become quite concerned about her that instead of their fortunes blooming, it began to wither. She eventually told them the truth when they got a pastor involved. The pastor told her she owed her friend an apology and the truth. She was envious and that evil feeling took over her reality. She and her children went to visit her friend. She told her friend the truth and asked her friend to forgive her. Her friend happily did so and prayed for her and her children.

On their way home she asked her first child if it is not ridiculous that God allowed a divorced woman to prosper to the point where she was the one that prayed for her in order for her lost fortune to be restored.

She said “I stayed faithful to my marriage vows, I didn’t give any excuses and my husband was not a saint. This woman couldn’t even keep hold of her own husband and now she is better off than me in every way. She was the one that blessed me and forgave me. Isn’t that ironical?”

Her daughter told her it was that mindset that prevented her from rising. “Mummy, envy pegs your rise in every way. You must do away with it otherwise things will become worse than this for you and every one of us. Stop being friends with this woman, if this is the only way you see her. Be grateful for life and things will change.”

She said she would try.

Deal with Envy, it is a destiny killer.

Merry Christmas

 -GSW-