Little Wife peeked quickly at her phone on the counter top as she prepared breakfast for Big Man. There was a message from a friend who she was not supposed to have any contact with. Big Man had warned her not to communicate with that friend or there would be serious consequences.
The message simply read, “Turn on Moody radio if you can.”
Little Wife deleted the message and turned on the radio to the morning show on WMBI. She listened as they talked about a new book that had just come out by Moody Publishers. It was titled, Is It My Fault? Little Wife kept the radio volume very low in case Big Man was listening. She heard the host and guest describing characteristics of abusive Christian husbands. She quickly turned the radio to a music station and finished Big Man’s breakfast preparations. But she thought about that book and wondered if she should order it.
The birds were singing a merry Spring tune that morning as Little Wife opened her laptop and ordered that book.
Later in the week, she received a phone call from a long ago friend.
“I haven’t heard from you for a while, Little Wife. Are you alright? I’ve been praying for you.”
Little Wife told her friend about the book she had ordered and how she was very nervous about reading it and hoping that Big Man would not find out about it. Her friend said, “I knew something was wrong over there. That’s terrible and I’m sure very scary for you. I’ll pray that you’ll be okay. And by the way, have you ever heard of FOCUS Ministries? They help women who are in abusive marriages.”
How did her friends know? How could they see what she couldn’t see? In her smallness, was she also blind and deaf to the reality she was living in, trapped in for so long?
Little Wife tried to call FOCUS Ministries later that day but hung up before they answered because she was afraid.
And then she learned about another organization called Family Shelter Services. They offered classes geared to educating women about domestic abuse as well as counseling, court advocacy and emergency shelter for abused women.
Little Wife was beginning to wake up, like the crocuses and daffodils and tulips coming quietly out of the ground after a year of silence and a winter hibernation. Her heart was opening to the unconditional love of her Heavenly Father, who sees and hears and never leaves us in our terrible times of fear and abuse. It was His voice stirring her to rise up out of the dirt she had grown so accustomed to. He whispered, “My beloved child. I love you. It’s time to get up.”
*****
Chaplain’s Note: Only God knows the right way to wake up a Little Wife. He doesn’t use an alarm clock. But at the perfect time, He does begin to speak to her heart and to her soul. Our Father tells her how precious and valuable she is and how much He loves her … and how much her abusive husband does NOT love her. God uses people, circumstances, radio programs, music, books and His Word to wake us up to the tragedy we are living and that He has a much better plan for our lives.
My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. Song of Solomon 2:10-13
And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6
