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Conference yukon::christian_v7

Title:The CHRISTIAN Notesfile
Notice:Jesus reigns! - Intros: note 4; Praise: note 165
Moderator:ICTHUS::YUILLEON
Created:Tue Feb 16 1993
Last Modified:Fri May 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:962
Total number of notes:42902

244.0. "Help the family" by DECWET::WANG () Mon Aug 23 1993 15:15

	A sister in our church has been very depressed lately.  Her husband, an
unbliever, has been dissatisfied with her 13 year-old daughter recently(or
probably not so recently).  Her daughter, a very weak Christian, has poor
performance and has been rebellious in her father's eye.  As a results, the
father and the daughter are in constant conflicts.   The father, also a tyrant
in the family, would use abusive way to deal with things that are against his
will.  He rebukes her daughter all the time and often beats her and even locks
her outside the house all night.  As the mother of the problem husband and
daughter this sister has been trying to do the right thing, teaching the
daughter the right way, advising her  husband not to be so abusive etc., but
only often got herself caught between the crossfire.  She sometimes also was
abused and beaten by her husband for not doing a satisfactory houseworks by her
husband's standard.  Her husband would not seek for counseling and would not
admit any wrong doing with the arguments such as "I make money for the family so
I can do whatever I like but you have to listen to me".  He is the exception for
all the rules he makes. Her husband is a total different person outside of the
family and actually did very well in his career.  But the poor spiritual
prospect of the family has made this sister in the Lord and her daughter feel so
painful and even sometimes thinking of suicide, divorce..., if not for the Lord. 
The most immediate problem is not even hers, it is the suffering of her daughter
and her husband.

	Prayer, advice and comforting words for this sister will be much
appreciated.

Wally

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244.1JULIET::MORALES_NASweet Spirit's Gentle BreezeMon Aug 23 1993 17:2232
    Hi Wally,
    
    Nice to see you still reading in here and particpating.  When you have
    a moment, I'd sure like to know how *you* are. :-)  Please write me
    offline, if you are inclined.
    
    Now, to the situation with this woman.  Wally, you've read the book
    Tough Love, haven't you?  Can you see the correlation between this
    woman's situation and a situation of infidelity?  The two are
    diametrically different, however, the principles in Tough Love apply. 
    However, with one modification.  She and her daugher need to be
    in some sort of a shelter for battered and abused women prior to the
    letter being written and given to her husband.  They need to be
    physically safe.  
    
    Wally, you know me, and I beg you dear brother, to please go to your
    Pastor and seek his wisdom and advice in this situation.  When suicide
    is coupled with divorce as possible solutions, you must see the how
    this kind of domestic violence creates an atmosphere of insanity. And
    when you are caught up in insanity, it is hard to reason a solution.
    
    I know this may seem choppy, I've entered, deleted and re-entered,
    however, I think my complete thoughts are in this note.
    
    Father, I ask that you penetrate the insanity of this woman's home and
    give her clearness of thinking to make the choices needed to protect
    herself and her daughter.  Lord, I ask that you would give Wally the
    courage and wisdom to point this woman in the right direction through
    their local Pastor.  Lord, thank you for Wally and his willingness to
    ask for help.  In Jesus Name, Amen.
    
    
244.2BIRDEE::JENNISONJohn 3:16 - Your life depends on it!Tue Aug 24 1993 10:089
	I'd second Nancy's suggestion to have the woman get to a shelter
	with her daughter immediately.  

	Praying for the entire family, for God's grace and intervention.

	Bless you Wally, for caring!

	Karen
244.3Still praying for open doors for themKAHALA::JOHNSON_LLeslie Ann JohnsonTue Aug 24 1993 11:221
I'd second that as well. ___Leslie
244.4Pray , Pray and more prayerPOLAR::DOWNEYTue Aug 24 1993 13:3212
    Will be praying for the family and you Wally. Interceeding for the
    family Wally may take a special sacrifice. I can't help but think of
    the parable about the man interceeding for a stanger for food. With out
    regard for himself he went to his neighbour at a late hour and with
    persistence obtained food for this stranger. 
    
    We need more intercessors like you Wally who are willing to follow the
    prompting of the Holy Spirit in obediance and love.
    
    May God bless you I pray.
    
    Steve D.
244.5DECWET::WANGTue Aug 24 1993 14:4919
	Some of our church members have  been helping her daughter(keep her away
from her bad friends, keep her staying in church, help her to deal with her
father when he gets unreasonable etc.)  Her case is constantly in our church's
prayer's meeting. I'll bring Nancy's suggestion to an elder of our church
tomorrow. Our church does not have a pastor at the present time and hardly any
one is equipped with the kind of knowledge or experiences to deal with this kind
of situation.  Last Friday the woman expressed her anxiety in our bible study
group(about 5 of us present at the time).  My hearts goes out to her and wish I
can get any help or  encouragement for her.  She did seek for counselling from a
pastor of another  church but that pastor told her it is very difficult to go
about without her  husband's willing of joining it.  She also mentioned that she
was asking her husband such that he can leave her and her daughter alone for six
months so that she can deal with her daughter's problem first but without
success.  She is caught  in between her rebellious daughter and her very
emotional husband.  Just for the reference, her husband's brother has similar
behavior and eventually made her sister-in-law(her husband's brother's wife) to
go crazy  and got admitted to a mental hospital.  

Wally
244.6AIMHI::JMARTINTue Aug 24 1993 17:3216
    Wally:
    
    Amazing..you would think this guy would learn from the experiences of
    his brother.  
    
    I feel the shelter idea could be very good as it will show this guy
    that although he may provide the house, his family in turn provides the
    home.  Coming home to an empty house can be unsettling, especially for
    somebody in his situation.  As parents, it is important to realize that
    we are stewards of our time, money and most importantly, our children.
    
    By the way, is there another side to the story?  What I mean is did the
    daughter rebel as a result of her fathers behavior or was his behavior
    perpetuated by the daughters rebellion?  
    
    -Jack
244.7DECWET::WANGTue Aug 24 1993 18:2225
>    Amazing..you would think this guy would learn from the experiences of
     his brother.

        His brother's wife's family has some history of mental problem.  This
of course makes the brothers and their family think that it is not their 
problems.


>    I feel the shelter idea could be very good as it will show this guy
>    that although he may provide the house, his family in turn provides the
>    home.  Coming home to an empty house can be unsettling, especially for
>    somebody in his situation.  As parents, it is important to realize that
>    we are stewards of our time, money and most importantly, our children.

        Thanks Jack, this is a new perspective to me and it is a powerful one.


>    By the way, is there another side to the story?  What I mean is did the
>    daughter rebel as a result of her fathers behavior or was his behavior
>    perpetuated by the daughters rebellion?
        
        I do not know who started first but the daughter does not like to 
stay at home and ran away from home a few times.  When she ran away from home,
she stayed with some of other problem kids. This makes her father extremely
angry and thus perpetuated the situation.