"WHAT?--GOD SPEAKS THROUGH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW?

There is another way that God can speak to us through a person. He will use THEIR BEHAVIOUR! Especially behaviour we just can't stand!! The message given---we may not want to hear. Have you ever heard the expression “the first smeller is the feller?”

Let us put it this way—“there is something about that person that I can’t stand! Their attitude stinks!” Get ready, beloved of God--the TRUTH is about to hit the fan.

When we first married, Bob’s parents lived about 800 miles away and they would come to see us about twice a year and stay for a week or so. Well, after a week usually I would have a flare up for Mom Thomas was very good about telling me how I should do things. We were both strongly opinionated women. Sometimes the 'discussions' got really loud and I would feel so bad about it.

“God please help me, theses fights have got to stop!!” I was working private duty and during the night and in the quiet times I prayed again for God’s help and wisdom to help me be able to love her more and be more patient with her, and stop being so ugly with her.
While seeking help, that dear ‘inner Voice’ said—“Just as I took your sins upon the cross and died for you---I want you to take all that makes you angry that your mother-in-law does and confess them as your sins and ask Me for forgiveness.”

Okay—no problem, for I knew them all! As I drove the 40 miles back home the next morning, I did just that.
“Father, forgive me for being so “perfect, and know how to do things perfectly.’ Forgive me for being such a know it all, who feels everyone should do things your way. Forgive me ---and on and on I went UNTIL, about the 7th or 8th thing I confessed that she did that drove me nuts. At this point a very bright light bulb went off in my head, and I gasped, “Oh my God these are my sins!!!”

I was laughing so hard that I failed to notice a school zone on the country highway and was pulled over for ‘speeding.’ But when I told the policeman just why I failed to notice that sign and was still so happy about how God helped me---he too laughed and gave me a verbal warning and sent me on my way. Obviously, he probably had his own mother- in -law issues he was dealing with. Don’t we all and don’t we all need to hear how God will open up our ‘noses’ to who really the stinker is in our life.

More important, though, God can speak to you through others, through Counseling! He leads us to seek the wisdom of those who are trained in the areas you need help in. In the 25th year of our marriage, as the anniversary approached, the desire to ‘not renew’ our wedding vows got stronger and stronger! I did not want to stay in the marriage that was so disconnected and where I felt used and unloved. After admitting to this truth, and after God also intervened as He did in a very Mysterious Way to trigger this strong desire to get divorced, I sought the prayers of strong Catholic Charismatic friends who I trusted. The message given to me through those prayers (they prayed in tongues at great length) came the next morning.

“Do not stay in this marriage as it is! Be open and honest with your husband and walk into wellness.”

(More of how God set this up will be discussed in the chapter on God’s Mysterious Ways.) What did happen though for God to help me do all of the three things requested was through marriage counseling. that God set up. We were sent to a fantastic, strongly spiritual Christian counselor who helped us for nine months using "IMAGO THERAPY" that was highly effective. Needless to say, God’s plan worked for with our cooperation, this year we will celebrate a 50th Anniversary. God is Good--all the time!