Longsuffering brings wisdom and discernment EL

Wednesdays Word

When Faith Meets Suffering-Part 13
Thanks for joining us for When Faith Meets Suffering, Part 13. Our author has actually been asked several times by some of her prayer team members if she was writing this journey down, to which she replied that she was via this blog, When Faith Meets Suffering. So, again, we want to emphasize that we realize Social Media is all about the “happy” side of life, and this may seem like a real bummer, but the author wants to share from the side of pain, because pain is a part of real life. On the other side, she knows in her bones that God will bring a victory from this season of suffering and will be just as transparent about the victory as she has been about the season of suffering.
They had agreed to meet at the house after he invited her to lunch. Armed with more evidence of the affair made her entrance awkward at best. She was very reserved. He was sitting at his desk and he barely acknowledged her. Why should she expect anything different, especially in light of what she had recently learned and wanted to deny with every cell in her being.
He barely acknowledged her, which completely frustrated her. And yet, her unspoken expectation of him being excited to see her was unrealistic, more a fantasy, but not from the same fantasy land that he was residing in. She tried not to show her irritation laced with disappointment, especially in light of the fact that he always waited to see what she would do, how she would respond and then he’d follow suit. He’d always take her temperature; if she was cool, then he’d be cool. If she was warm, then he’d be warm. He was never the leader, in charge of his own feelings; rather he followed…whomever made him feel what he wanted to feel.
His “oh, hi” pulled her out of her stinking thinking. She put all negativity aside as he shared a company problem and she offered to help.
His response to her help was one of surprise; she’d never been one to ease his burden willingly with a good attitude. Together they worked thru the problem, and then went for the lunch he had invited her to.
When they pulled into the parking lot of Panda Express, he got a phone call for work. She went on in, thinking he’d follow within a few minutes. The minutes ticked by ever so slowly, feeling like marathon minutes. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes…she sat there at a table after telling the employee she was waiting for him to order.
“Why am I waiting here,” she groaned indignantly. “This is so freaking rude,” she muttered to the table, trying desperately to stay occupied on her phone and not look irritated. After twenty minutes she walked outside. He acknowledged her and held up his finger signifying he’d only be another minute.
She walked back in, willing herself to be patient, less irritated. Finally, ten minutes later he walked in. “Sorry about that,” he offered quickly. She put her hurt feelings to the side and exchanged them for understanding but his priorities had decreased her appetite. He had left her waiting for almost a half hour! She ate very little and tried to strike up surface statements, questions about his job, the business to show she was interested in anything that interested him.
When she said good-bye, she realized that their time had been like for the last several years of their marriage: unfulfilling, full of unmet and unrealistic expectations as a result of unspoken needs. Her God-given discernment helped her to understand this and the truth that he had finally crashed into all of it and was down for the count, not knowing who he was or is. He was not well, wandering in a wilderness of confusion with a dry and sick soul, blinded by the deception of the enemy who had used a “friend” to deceive him and bring him to the end of himself.
But her covenant said in sickness and health, and God was calling her to withstand in this adversity, whispering reminders of His love, leading her to His promises and refining her like she had never experienced.
Is there a situation that you need wisdom and discernment in, Friend? Then ask Him, and He will surely provide it. James 1:5 says: If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
But wisdom must be accompanied by discernment. Philippians 1:9-10 says: And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
See, the discernment tells us what to do with the wisdom….both of which are prudent to longsuffering well!

Hanging by a thread…to the hem of His garment,
Kim-Evinda