EVERYTHING LOOKED PERFECT

USGN article
by Barbi Franklin
September 1998

When Terry & I first came to Nashville, we moved into a house next door to a nice, older couple that had been married for over 30 years. We admired their discipline in keeping their home and yard looking so nice. They always had beautiful flowers and a well manicured lawn and anytime their garage door went up, we had a chance to see how well this man kept his tools organized.

Besides the immaculate appearance of their home, they were members of a local Baptist church, and the husband served as a deacon there. But unbeknownst to us, there was a hidden life.

A few years into our neighborly relationship, Terry saw the wife out by the mailbox with tears in her eyes. As Terry inquired, the story unfolded. Tom had been an alcoholic for years and finally after years of frequent beatings and adulterous affairs, she solemnly and regretfully resigned to divorce. What a tragic and pitiful story.

But that wasn't the end. The fear of the Lord fell on Terry and me when we later heard about God's vindication of this godly woman's plea. She had suffered under this silent oppression for years knowing that "God hates divorce!" And even when she resigned to release herself from this man, her prayer was that somehow she wouldn't have to live with "divorce" in her history.

Does God hear our prayers? Is God our defender? Does He vindicate the oppressed? Well . . . a few days after these facts were revealed to us, Tom had a heart attack and three weeks later . . . died . . . before the divorce papers were final!

Now, this godly woman lives with all the benefits of her husband's pension. God has vindicated and blessed her as His Word has promised! Let this true story not only encourage us to trust God as Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, but let it strike the fear of God in all of us, that we wouldn't be caught living the dual life of a hypocrite!

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©1998 Terry & Barbi Franklin.