Looking upward, he stopped. “God, I preach to hundreds of people two to three times a week. I tell them about your love, your forgiveness, your grace and mercy. Rena was my love, the woman I dreamed of having babies with, Father. She was the perfect wife in every way. So why,” he rubbed his hands over his head. “why did she have to be, I don’t know what to call her.”
Stiles’s body jerked. He looked around the room as if he expected to see someone. “A sinner?” He heard within his spirit. “Why did she have to be a sinner like you, and all of my children?”
Tears rolled from Stiles’s eyes. “Who am I to judge her?” He sat back on the bed and clasped his hands together. “I am a sinner, a sinner saved by your grace, Lord. You forgave me and you love me unconditionally. But I don’t have the strength, or the kind of heart that can allow her back in my life. I love her, but it’s time for me to make a fresh start. It wouldn’t be fair to Rena to have a man who couldn’t love and accept her for who she is. I repent for any wrong I’ve done toward her and Francesca. Forgive me. I know now that this is your will. You want me to close the door to my past, to my hurt and my heartache.” Stiles felt his heavy heart lighten. It was time to let go of the past and look forward to what God had planned for his future. He would always love Rena, but he finally realized that, although he didn’t understand the ways of God, that God was the one in control of everything. It was time to trust Him totally and completely.
“Whatever tomorrow brings, I’m ready, Lord.” Stiles looked at the open cell phone, and then scrolled through it again until he saw Rena’s number, that was no longer in service, and he deleted it. He scrolled again until he found, Rena-MomDad again. He paused and then he deleted it too. Closing the phone, he threw it on the other side of the empty bed before going into the kitchen and pulling out a frozen dinner.
Audrey and several ladies from Holy Rock Women’s Ministry met for their monthly lunch in a private meeting room at Red Lobster. Toward the end of the meeting, the ladies sat around and talked, rather they gossiped.
“First Lady, may I ask you something?” one of the ladies said.
“Certainly,” Audrey replied.
“What really happened to your son’s wife? It’s like she disappeared off the face of the earth.”
Audrey threw up one hand and waved it carelessly. “Honey, she left town after he divorced her. I tell you, it was the best thing she could have done. It was enough that she pretended to love my son, only to leave him heartbroken.”
“I know she put him through a lot,” another woman commented.
“Yes, I tell you, my son’s wife was not all she pretended to be. All of the years I thought I knew that child and she turned out to be a deceitful little phony. And to think, we’ve known Rena and her family since they first moved to Memphis. Well, she sure had us fooled. Who would have thought that she was only using him? That’s why you have to be careful these days.”
A fair skinned, older woman agreed with Audrey. “Yes, you sure have to be careful these days, First Lady.”
This fueled Audrey’s flame and she kept on talking. “You think you know somebody, and find out you don’t know them at all.”
“Lord, these women today are scandalous. I tell you, our men of God have to be careful,” a short dark woman added.
“You’re sure right,” another commented. “We have to stay prayed up on their behalf.”
“Is Pastor Stiles all right, First Lady, now that his divorce is final?”
“Yes, he’ll be fine. Of course, the pain of divorce is something that takes time to heal; even more so, for a man of God like my Stiles. He tried, but it was no way to mend their marriage. The girl was promiscuous and she wasn’t about to change. I tell you, I cried almost every night for months for my son. Thank God for Pastor; he keeps Pastor Stiles encouraged. And since he was appointed as the full time pastor of Holy Rock, he doesn’t have a lot of time to sit and feel sorry for himself.”
The fair skinned older woman was named Sister Jean. She readily agreed with Audrey. “Don’t worry,” she said and waved her hand. “He’ll find another woman. That’s for sure. A smart, intelligent, handsome man of God like him won’t have a problem at all. This time, she’ll be the kind of woman that will be worthy of being his wife and the First Lady of Holy Rock. We’re going to keep praying that the next time he’ll meet a fine Christian girl with true morals and respect. But we all know, that whoever it is, won’t be half the First Lady you are, Sister Audrey.”
Audrey blushed. “Thank you, Sister Jean.”
“The truth is the truth,” Sister Jean remarked and so did several of the other women who were gathered in the room.
Audrey’s face brightened like the morning sun. She was astonished at the sense of fulfillment she felt as she spoke. “I know one thing, whoever she is she will have to be more than special. She’s going to have to definitely prove that she’s worthy if she ever plans on becoming, my son’s wife.”
Words from the Author
Today we are bombarded with depravity of mind. Our people are dying not only physically, but spiritually as well. Something has to be done to stop the madness. Something has to be done to halt the senseless evil and hate that is spreading throughout our nation.
When I wrote, My Son’s Wife, it was not for the purpose of condemning or judging any group of people. It was, however, meant to show the destructive nature of sin. We become so caught up in what the next person is doing. Many of us go about pointing fingers at the next person without looking in the mirror and viewing our own faults. I hope that after reading, My Son’s Wife, that you will see the danger in condemnation of others and of your self too. We all fall short in some shape, form, or fashion. But I am a believer that God is a deliverer. God is not a God of condemnation. He is a God of salvation, forgiveness and grace. His mercy endures forever. It never runs out!
In regard to acts of homosexuality and lesbianism, many so-called, uppity church folks don’t want to read about it, or talk about it, unless it’s in a judgmental way. They’re quick to use the following words of God and twist it and make it work for their own advantage. The Bible does clearly address issues of homosexuality and lesbianism in the first chapter of Romans, starting with verse 18 and following (New International Version). However, these passages of scripture address much more. I’ve taken the liberty to underline some vital points throughout this passage that many Christians and religious people tend to conveniently leave off. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, m
urder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
So you see, Readers, God calls things like they are. We all fall in one or more of these depraved ways of thinking. So what if you aren’t a homosexual or a lesbian? If you’re a gossip, a slanderer, insolent, and faithless, you’re subject to the wrath of God too. If you don’t believe me, read the above passages of scripture in bold again.
Sometimes I believe we are so hard on those who practice homosexuality and lesbianism because it is something we can ‘see.’ It usually shows outwardly in a person whereas, many of us practice secret sins. Those sins that nobody knows about. We lead double lives, and keep our closets packed with skeletons.
The bottom line is that we should love one another, no matter what our shortcomings are, no matter what our choices are, no matter the color of our skin, our economical status, no matter what our beliefs. Those, like myself, who profess to be Christians, are supposed to love, to welcome, to embrace, to draw all men, women, and children by displaying the same kind of unconditional love, kindness and mercy of God. After all, I once was blind but now I see, was lost but now I’m found. Who am I to belittle any one when I am a sinner too, that just happens to be saved by His grace.
A Personal Invitation from the Author
If you have not made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, God himself extends this invitation to you.
If you have not trusted him and believed him to be the giver of eternal life, you can do so right now. We do not know the second, the minute, the hour, the moment or day that God will come to claim us. Will you be ready?
The Word of God says,
“If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are Saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV)
About the Author
Shelia E. Lipsey is a multi award winning author, professional speaker, and literary expert. Lipsey is founder and executive director of the nonprofit, Living Your Dreams Now (www.livingyourdreamsnowauthorsretreat.com), founder and director of Memphis African American Writers Group (MAAW), regular blogger for BCNN1 (www.blackchristiannews.com), and contributing writer for EDC Creations Black Pearl Magazine (www.blackpearlmagazine.com).
She has released the following novels through her publisher, Urban Books: Into Each Life, Sinsatiable, My Son's Wife, My Son’s Ex Wife: The Aftermath, and Beautiful Ugly. She remains on several bestselling lists including Black Expressions top 25 and top 100 bestselling lists, Black Christian Fiction Independent bestsellers lists multiple times for each one of her titles, as well as Black Christian Fiction National bestsellers’ list for each of her titles. Lipsey’s novels can be purchased at bookstores nationwide and at online stores.
Lipsey was presented the 2010 Pink Diamond Award from the National Book club SistahFriend. My Son’s Ex Wife: The Aftermath was named one of the Best Books of 2010 by Sankofa Literary Society. My Son’s Wife won the SORMAG Readers’ Choice in several categories including Author of the Year and Book of the Year. She was also awarded 2009 Top Shelf Award from EDC Creations for Beautiful Ugly. Lipsey is one of eight contributing authors featured in Bended Knees Anthology, published by Hollygrove Publishing. Her title in the anthology is Against the Grain. Lipsey’s sixth and seventh titles, My Son’s Next Wife will be released June 1, 2011, followed by her seventh title True Beauty in December 2011. Always, Now and Forever Love Hurts was originally published and printed in 2000.
To arrange speaking events, book signings,
and or workshops please contact the author at
[email protected]
[email protected]
You may also reach this author through
www.PerfectStoriesAboutImperfectPeople.com
www.myspace.com/shelialipsey
http://twitter.com/shelialipsey
http://livingyourdreamsnowauthorsretreat.com
www.uchisglorybookclub.net
shelia@[email protected]
Other Novels by Shelia E. Lipsey
Into Each Life (print and ebook)
Sinsatiable (print and ebook)
Beautiful Ugly (print and ebook)
My Son’s Wife (print and ebook)
My Son’s Ex-Wife (print and ebook)
My Son’s Next Wife
(Releases June 2011)
True Beauty
(Releases December 2011)
Anthologies
Bended Knees Anthology
Story: Against the Grain (print and ebook)
Nonfiction titles
A Christian’s Perspective–Journey Through Grief
(Print and ebook)
My Son's Wife Page 27