There is this person whom I have come to think of as “my thorn in the flesh.” Allow me to explain. See, I have had a few serious medical issues that have kept me from being able to work outside of writing for the last 7 months, and it is not yet clear when I will be all healed up. I had just gotten married 4 months before these issues started, and my sickness has not made it easy for us at all. During this time, there is one person who has continually tried to cause problems for me and my husband. But that isn’t even where it all began.
Ironically, little over a year ago, this person, who I will refer to as “Thorn,” was in my shoes. Medical issues kept them from being able to take care of things at home. So my husband and I took care of everything for Thorn, animals, meals, anything that was needed from us. I even kept Thorn’s confidence in some very private things that Thorn shared with me. I later found out that not only was this not appreciated, but Thorn said a lot of unpleasant things about me to others during that time, apparently trying to turn them against me. Thorn also caused my husband and I to be delayed for months on building our home, leaving us to have to stay with those same people. Since then, Thorn continues to try and stir up trouble for us, coming around at least once every week or two to the people we live with, with new accusations and lies to try and spread hate and discontent.
As I said before, Thorn has caused my husband and I to be delayed in beginning the build of our home. There is a good chunk of money that has to be paid for something that is Thorn’s responsibility to clean up for before building can begin. We have already involved the courts, to no avail. Thorn did not clear loads of Thorn’s trash and personal property off of our land even after the court ordered Thorn to do so, and the only thing that can be done about it is for us to spend the money to go to court again. I just found out a few days ago that Thorn has gone on a very expensive vacation – and left the mess behind.
I began to see Thorn as my enemy, and I was absolutely sure God was going to vindicate me. I mean, look at Psalms. That book is full of verses, no entire chapters, where David asked God to strike his enemies down. Although I did not want Thorn struck down, per se, I absolutely wanted God to put His foot down and teach this person a lesson. I almost couldn’t wait for Thorn to “finally get what was coming to them.”
Meanwhile, I realized that I was not as close to God as I wanted to be. I realized that my thoughts toward this person were not Godly, and I asked God to cleanse me, to mold me. Sounds all holy and righteous, right? Thing is, I was asking for the wrong reasons. I wanted God to make me all sparkly clean so that I could feel “good” and this person would be “bad.” I wanted God to punish this person as the “bad child,” and pat me on the head for being his “good girl.” So I asked God to cleanse me, and I ask Him for blessings.
I am thinking that maybe I need to speak up a bit when I pray. I am convinced that I just didn’t speak clearly when I spoke to my Father about this issue. This person is clearly attacking me, God’s child, and so almighty vengeance is on the way, right? So, I asked Him for a “blessing,” but instead I got a “lesson.” You can see why I think I should have spoken more clearly. “What was the lesson?” you ask.
Well, Thorn needed something, involving a bit of physical labor, to be done in the heat everyday while they are on vacation. The only people who are available to do it are not physically able to, but agreed to do so anyway. Because I care for these people, I have found myself getting up early in the morning and going to take care of the need myself. Thorn doesn’t even know that I am doing it. That’s right, God worked the situation where I am having to serve the one who shows hate towards me…without getting any credit for it. It is a bitter pill to swallow. I am almost choking on it.
I was so angry this morning when I left to go do this. But the picture above was my view when I got there. I asked God why He keeps letting this person “get one over on me.” You know what He told me? “You asked me to cleanse you, to mold you into what I want you to be…” See, we aren’t molded by serving God when it is convenient, when we can get credit for it, when it makes us look good to everyone, or when we can hang it over the heads of our “enemies.” We are molded when we learn humility. It isn’t really service if it is something we profit from, it is service when we really, really (REALLY) don’t want to do it, but we do it because we know it would please our Father. We can’t just ask God to change us if we aren’t willing to work for that change. So He sent me a lesson. Or maybe it’s a blessing, after all…
Writer Bio: Angela Carpenter
Angela Kaye Carpenter is a syndicated writer, copywriter, and editor from Georgia, USA. Angela currently writes for Vertu Marketing, and is the former Head Feature Writer & Social Media Manager at Inventor’s Showcase Magazine, Editor in Chief of Editorial MOM, Contributing Editor at Entrepreneurweek, and Renegade Entrepreneurs. Specializing in news articles, her work has been featured in ‘Drudge Report’ and mentioned in a post from ‘Fox News.com’. She has written for Rebellion News, VizMedia, EnewsDaily,’Thaindian News’, and other news sites online. Aside from news articles, Angela also writes legal blogs, poetry, songs, and short stories, as well as television reviews, and “how to” articles. Her loves include her husband JD, her kids, Jen and John, her grandbaby, Charley Pepper, and her Pitt-Mastiff, Baloo. Contact Angela at angelakayecarpenter@gmail.com. Follow on Twitter, @AKayeCarpenter, find her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AngelaKayeCarpenter
