Lost Hope

I have a friend who is struggling now. It makes me sad that I can't help her. I've tried but she views my help as unnecessary. She has built up a delusional system that a man she has known since high school is destined to become her husband. I don't use the word 'delusional' lightly. She has organized her entire life, LIFE on this belief. She has created a story, not based on reality, that she once miscarried a child with him and each time she has sex (unprotected), she takes a pregnancy test, under the misguided belief that this may keep him with her. Mind you, they are both in their early 30's now, he has been married not once, not twice, but three times since then; dealing with my friend in between and at times, during some of these marriages. He has had children by these and other women.

She says that a "prophet" foretold that God was gonna do a work in him and that if she just hung in there, he would be the man God has called him to be and eventually her husband. She has banked her entire life on the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Now, while I had my doubts, I'm not one to try and contain God or try to second guess what HE can or cannot do; so, I've been over here with the popcorn, eagerly anticipating this miracle. Until recently.

Ole' boy recently talked my friend back into bed, built up her hopes and yes, rejected her. AGAIN! For some dumb ass reason, one of her family members decided to confront ole' boy on the job. It got ugly, as you can imagine (she was totally out of line anyway, so I guess she deserved to have her feelings hurt). But here's the deal breaker for me:

I'm told, so I can't say I heard this for myself, but I'm told that ole boy said, "You see the way she crying over there? I got women all over the world crying for me, just like that. She's nothing."

Cold.

Was this the final straw that would enable my friend lay aside her hopes and dreams for this man? Nope. But you can see the beginnings of the cynic emerging. Her spirit reflects the beginning signs of lost hope, and it's a sad sight to see because this woman has a beautiful spirit; hopeful, outgoing, idealistic. It's going to be a shame to see that fade away over someone who is so far beneath her.

What I'm even more fearful of is the possibility of her lost hope and faith in God. I once told her that I did not believe that God intends for us to live in pain and fear; that perhaps, she is putting more weight than she should into the words of man, and ignoring the signs God has provided for her to indicate that she should move on. She didn't speak to me for a month. I figured then that this would be a lesson she would have to take on her own.

My heart is heavy for her and I am praying that she looks for and receives God's comfort and guidance. I pray that she does not allow an individual to distract her from hers and God's true purpose. And I am prayerful that if she finds her way to this post that she sees the love behind it's creation.