RIGHT
OR
WRONG?
STEPHEN MICHAEL
THE AUTHOR OF UNLEASH YOUR TALENTS
AND OTHER SELF HELP BOOKS
Copyright © 2015 by
STEPHEN MICHAEL
July, 2015.
Published by Stephen Michael
Distributed by Smarshwords
All rights reserved
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+234 703 595 7197
“I agree with her”
“Jesus! What?”
“I said I agree with her” she stuttered as she squeezed her two palms and buried them between her legs, casting her eyes aside at the other side of the room.
“Peace… I can’t believe you are saying this.” He said gently but firmly as though he’d wanted her to remember each word.
“The bible is very clear on abortion. The word of God cannot be bent because it’s our child’s case. Remember that the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, the lord knows them that are his. And let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity”
“2 Timothy 2:18” she said
“2: 19” he corrected
“I know… but this case is very different here. She’s not some careless whore on the street looking for who to seduce. James, our daughter was not one of those indiscipline girls that sleep around. She was Ra… oh God” she wept, looking up at the roof, closing her eyes, pressing it against the brow then tears which seems to be endless started flowing down her hard cheeks.
“I understand the situation here…”
“Really” she interrupted.
“Because for a second, I was thinking you wanted to use her to flex your spiritual muscles”
“You really think I like that our daughter is raped? Or do you think it doesn’t affect me just as much as it affects you. Is it because I’m not shading tears like you? She is my daughter and I am her father. I represent the spiritual authority over this house and I can’t let her make a mistake. Abortion is not an option; God’s word is clear on that! And if you think by doing what’s right, I am being rigid or inhuman you’re definitely missing the point”
“James, she is just a girl! This… this pregnancy would ruin her life.”
“You talk as one ignorant of the word. Don’t say such things about our daughter. She will be fine by God’s grace” He replied looking intently at her.
For the first time in twenty two years of marriage they spoke to each other in a very strange tone. She’s always been submissive and very understanding. She’s stood tough times with him- from insidious criticisms, to four years bareness, scandal and the ups and downs of rough rural ministry. Most of which they’ve had to sleep in an old deserted ranch, or spend the night trekking a long distance for lack of money, mostly lack of transportation. For all those while she would endure anything, almost everything, and had let love prevail. Now, he seems intrigued at the pace at which this issue is cracking into worlds of their own that they’ve never explored. Everything changed from their attitudes, to approaches, to languages down to words. For the first time after twenty two years, he’s beginning to see his tough wife in a whole new and strange perspective. They’d been through what he considered the toughest times, yet, he’s never seen this side of his beloved wife.
“I know exactly what I am telling you. Please let her… do it” she continued crying.
“After preaching to people about the dignity of word of God, now you, even you want me to break the word of God simply because our only daughter is a victim. Where is your faith and conviction, woman?”
“She’s just eighteen and you want her to carry the child of an unknown reckless man. Think about it James, you weren’t schooled in the bush. That child has no known father, not one that we or she could point at. She was RAPED! By some louts or crazy possessed devil who could be an insurgent with blood on his hands for all I care. He sure has a soul that is cursed. A child from such a monster could be the seed of evil, and she would be the one to rear it alone. Our daughter is the one to carry this burden”
“That’s where our faithfulness to God’s word is tested. That’s where we show character and trust in the living word of God.”
“Oh come on! Can you stop talking about us for a moment please? This is not our burden. It’s not us who are going to carry that child for her, she’s the one and she said no. You heard her when she said no.”
“Like you said earlier, she’s just a kid… She probably doesn’t know the consequences of what she’s about to do. I mean God forbid but she could lose her life in the process.”
“Not if it’s done right!”
“Think about the spiritual consequences!” He said to her with that look of bewilderment.
“She’s going to sin this once and never again. If she keeps this child imagine the pains she will go through every day of her life. You know what will happen to her studies. She’s going to be carrying the child of a stranger that nearly strangled her to death- that could be traumatic. She’s going to have to explain to this harsh and intolerant world how a pastor’s child had a baby outside marriage. She’s going to live everyday of her life regretting, feeling guilt, hating… you just don’t understand, honey! That child is her weakness and you know how she takes such issues.”
“Well what I understand clearly right now is that your degree in philosophy is trying to make sense against God’s word and I won’t allow that. You are being more sensually logical while neglecting the spirituality that has sustained this house this far.”
“You don’t understand”
“Stop telling me I don’t understand!”
“I’m sorry…” she said as she gaped in tears looking around the house as though she’s looking for some help or support from whatever is around. “I’m sorry” she continued almost gulping in such a way that the word is hardly understood. “She’s too young to have a kid by an unknown drug dealer or anti-Christ, or demon, or something. She’s too young to stay in the house with a baby sucking her breasts. She’s just sixteen. Doesn’t she have the moral right to abort the baby?”
“I’m afraid she doesn’t. Not if she’s a Christian. Not if she respects God’s word.”
“What’s the use of a God-given free will if one can’t even exercise it at least this once? In this century people choose their spouse and even the sex of their babies; people choose when to stop having babies; people choose to do or not to do things if they have some moral grounds!”
“This one is different! Our family has always put God first. We rely on God even while we had nothing, and now, we can’t just turn our back on God because we are trying to be smart or contemporary. We can’t turn our back on God’s word because it has gotten to the difficult part. No!”
“James stop thinking about us and think about the girl in question. We are making a decision for her.
“because it’s necessary…”
“She said she doesn’t want it, that’s her decision. But you want to enforce it on her without even considering how it will damage her self esteem and steal away precious months from her youth. What if the baby is a boy? He’s going to have a mother and no known father, right? He’s going to have to deal with a harsh world that frowns at bastards. She’s going to raise another menace to the society. I read some researches claim that such kids become nothing but trouble to the society and…”
“Woman where is your faith? You speak as one who has never heard the gospel for once in your enti
re life. Haven’t you heard of Jephthah?”
“He was the son of a harlot. I am not a harlot. Our daughter too is not a harlot.”
“I’ve never seen you behave like this. I’ve always thought you feared the Lord. What has changed you? We’ve made sacrifices; we’ve made tough decisions together. I never thought for once you’d be finding it difficult to accept the right thing to do in this case.”
“I still fear the Lord; I just don’t impose things on people all in attempt to prove my faith. I don’t make decisions for people that are between them and their God. I don’t get so spiritual that I can’t remember how it feels like to be subjected to torture all in the name of God. Doesn’t he understand? All cases are not the same. We are commanded not to kill but some people kill legally and are not considered sinners. Didn’t David eat the holy bread made for priests?”
“Logically sound; spiritually useless. Do you ever stop and think of the kind of examples you want us to lay for the multitude of people God have given to us as our sheep? We are going to show them how we can bend the word of God when we meet difficult situation”
“Is this because of what people will say or think? I thought it was supposed to be our decision together with our daughter. Is this because you are a pastor? You would really put Harmony in pain for years just because you want to put a face with people who never called you in the first place to ministry. She’s a girl and I am a woman, and I am telling you because I know, let her handle the pregnancy while there is still time.”
“That can never happen. God! Peace you make me feel guilty for allowing the possibility of what you are saying to ever come across my mind. Jesus! Stop talking to me. I need time to pray this through but for now, let me deal with this my own way. I have served God for over thirty years and I have never had a second thought on the stance of his word except today when you let your worldly thoughts creep into my house.”
Then there was silence; deep silence. Such silence and they seem to hear nothing. As though they were caught up in something abstract, as though they were caught into a thick cloud of fuzzy thoughts. They ceased and stared at each other as though they were strangers getting to know each other for the first time. She couldn’t hold it, she busted out in tears struggling to keep her mouth shut to avoid raising alarm for the neighborhood. He was caught up by the reality of this thing. It suddenly dawned on him that he could lose a daughter and a beloved wife just to prove a gospel. Just then it occurred to him what their greatest fear was.
She’s been raped at twenty and she lost everything including a home. He’d found her later but couldn’t marry her because he’s a bastard. All these while he’s never thought of himself that way; he took God to be his father. He later married her the hard way and they started ministry the same year only to lose the child in the field. The child’s death was followed with deep mourning by the mother; he’d stayed with her throughout the period. Just after the death of the child, she seemed to blossom again with youth. She would say later “she died with my pains” and he would take that literarily but now he understands the extent of that word.
James stared up in the roof of the house and reluctantly took her hands, brought her close to himself and hugged her so firmly, and she eased her pain with hot trickling tears… her eyes blinking unceasingly.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
STEPHEN MICHAEL graduated from English Language and Literature. He is a speaker, life coach and writer. Most of his works are non-fiction, self help books some of which include: UNLEASH YOUR TALENTS, THE ENTERPRISING STUDENT etc. you can find these books on smarshwords.
Find out more about Stephen here www.stephencoach.com