THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE
(Isaiah 49:25) 

By Tessa Harvey


    PART 2: GOD FIGHTS OUR BATTLES FOR US

    Sylvie was angry and resentful. She did not like her husband's parents. Worse, she felt they did not like or approve of her. When Mark had taken, no stolen, HER son, he had threatened to take both her children from her.
    Now her doctor had advised the Children's workers to put her two youngest in care for a while. They said she was showing signs of relapse. Deep down she was ashamed. In anger and pride she had refused contact time with her older children and bitterly regretted this.
    Tomorrow she would have to face Ainslie and explain to her she had a twin. It was too much, she thought. 
    Suddenly she had a stunning revelation. What if some of this mess was in fact some of her fault? Sylvie tried to bury that thought, but it persisted. My parents brought me up wrong......it was Mark's fault, his parents rigidity. Their stupid church. But was it? No, it was all too much. She felt despair and closed her mind.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     Night was falling and Jack felt hope was dwindling. It was a lonely stretch of coast. Normally Jack loved the sea and the solitude. They were a respite from the pressure  of home and the clamorous demands of school.     He kept imagining he heard voices calling to him and looked for torchlight along the shore. But there was no light and no one came. The tide was almost fully in, close to the cliff and breaking waves flung spume high in the air, making his perch even more precarious.     A wind was rising as night fell and the embattled youth felt he was weakening, his fingers becoming numb and losing strength as he clung to the rock face.     "Please," he whispered. "please help me." Some of the kids at school talked about Jesus. Was he real or just like Santa or the tooth fairy? Make-believe like Peter Pan and the pirates?     His mind wandered, then a light shone on...
Read more
Image
THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     6 MONTHS LATER     Ainslie looked at Jack. They spent a lot of time together trying to catch up on what had been lost. Ainslie felt she could never forgive her parents, but Jack wasn't so sure. " If you don't forgive, you stay locked in time. You don't have today, you don't have tomorrow, and yesterday has gone from you."     His sister considered his words. "Perhaps we would have fought all the time," she suddenly laughed. "After all, I am smarter and prettier and I was born first. I got all our inheritance." They were both laughing, enjoying the moment. Their dad was working hard, mum had a job and their grandparents loved them so very much.     "Let's go and fix a picnic," Ainslie suggested. "It's such a great day and we can take the little ones."     Jack agreed, his heart soaring as he realised afresh he was no longer alone. He could share his hope...
Read more
Image
THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     Abbie was feeling sad. She wanted to go out with David, but granny and gramps had said "stay in the garden."      The garden was lovely. There were trees and swings, a safe trampoline and climbing frame, but she felt restless and shut in.     Then Ainslie and Jack emerged from the house, loaded with water bottles, sandwiches, and fruit - lots of fruit - strawberries, apples, blueberries. "Come on kids," Jack called, "let's go fishing!"     No!" cried David, "leave the fish. "We mean fishing for fun," shouted Ainslie exuberantly.      The grandparents watched them go, boisterously, smiling. They were bonding well. Now it just needed the parents.....     Later David came to see Abbie.  He was, as usual clutching his favourite toy. He looked up into his sister's dark eyes, so like his own. The little boy was unsure how his parents saw him. But he knew...
Read more