Frightening implications

[Elisabeth]

My MIL hasn't been able to sleep very well lately, and when we went to her house yesterday morning, she looked terrible. :( Her problems sleeping started about the same time as her pastor chewed out my niece (her granddaughter) and refused to baptize niece's BF. :mad: My hubby and I think that the stress has a whole lot to do with MIL's sleeping problems. And I just realized something with my own past with that pastor that has frightening implications for mother in law.
I realized that when it came right down to it, the pastor did not want just my body, he wanted me. He wanted my total devotion, giving myself totally to him. He didn't want me to give myself to God, and to follow Christ; he wanted me to give myself to him, and to just follow him. I realize that's what the pastor wanted from everyone; devotion to him. And for most people it was more subtle than it was for me, but the end result was the same - devotion to pastor, and it felt like devotion to God. And my MIL was sucked into that too. So she is obviously "rudderless" right now; she's been back to church a few times but her eyes have been open and she can't hardly look at him. I know that "lost" feeling, and it haunts me and makes me feel slightly nauseated thinking back to it. And MIL isn't well; she's partially paralyzed by a stroke she had 2 years ago.

[Anna Marta]

Dear Elizabeth,

My heart goes out to your MIL. Waking up IS painful and at her age and given her special needs after a stroke it must be excruciating. She is blessed to have someone like you who has been there and understands. As you well know, there is little one can do for the person who is in the process of coming out of deception except to affirm them and understand their pain.

Will pray for your MIL and you
Love
Anna Marta

[mary]

Dear Elisabeth,

I "ditto" Anna Marta... Your MIL needs a whole lot of TLC and people who serve as "Jesus with skin on" ministering to her right now. She needs people who can evince some understanding of what she's going through. I believe that anyone like that pastor who did what he did to you - and now your MIL realizes the full impact - are some of the "gates of hell" that we're warned against. They will not prevail in the end, but coming up against and close to that degree of evil is scary. No denying that.

I pray for her, for anyone who's had a stroke is in rather precarious shape, and I pray that the Lord would minister tenderly to her and to you and your whole family at this very difficult time. I cannot even imagine the horror she must have finally been confronted with: that her pastor had so little respect for her son as to have done this to his wife. What searing pain she must have experienced - and is still experiencing! :eek:

Praying, Elisabeth... May the Lord bless and keep you all...

Love,

mary