Thorn in the Flesh
THORN IN THE FLESH (episode 3)
When Greg came in that morning, he sat with Mark as they talk, Mark wondered why Greg came over that early, he asked his wife to serve them breakfast, of which she gladly did, Greg had his breakfast in Mark’s house, he decided to open up to Mark what was going on in his home, he tried not to go into deep details, he just told Mark he has being having misunderstanding with Klein, Mark was surprise to hear him say that because Greg and Klein are one of the best couples that most people envy in the church, they were always happy, and Greg was a true man of God who also uses his family as a good example to the singles who plan to get married, people love Greg and his family,
Mark was shock at the revelation from Greg,
“I have prayed and hope that she will get back to normal but instead she becomes worst, it was not like this from the beginning but with time she changed completely, I have tried to keep it as a secret but not any more, I decided that you of all people should know what was going and to also put my family in your prayer, devil is trying to destroy me and my home and I know God will not let that to happen…
“I am deeply sorry to hear this pastor, truly God will not forsake his own, indeed he will not allow the righteous to be forsaken, you and your family will always be in our prayer, now we know how to channel our prayers whenever we pray for you, you and your family is covered pastor….
They talk and even study the word together as Mark’s family later join in the fellowsh¡p, and when Greg stood to leave, Mark and his wife asked him to stay for lunch but he said he needed to go, he thanked them before driving off, Greg stop at a mini mart to get some beverages for his family, and just when he was leaving the mart he had some body calling him “pastor, and when he turned, he couldn’t recognize, the slim tall lady, who was full of smiling walking towards him.
“Hello pastor…always looking handsome…fine pastor…the single ladies in your church must be tripping…hahahaha…when I saw you from far, at that other end, I wasn’t certain if it was you or not until I got close, and I thanked the Lord when I became sure that it was you…do you live around here, this is where I use to come sometime to buy things, how are you doing, you are looking good…
“Pardon me, I can’t seem to place the face, are you from the church…I mean do you attend Shepherd house?
“No, I attended to you at the bar…hahahaha… my name is Fiona…the lady that…
“Ooh oh…I remember, thank you for helping me that night, how are you doing…
“I’m doing well, I decided to take off this afternoon, I will resume back in the evening because that’s when lots customers comes around, right now, no much customer, you never came around again after that night, I was looking out for you even ask my colleagues to look out for you in my absence, I guess you have made up with your wife now, you look so frosh…even more handsome from the last time I saw you, men of God hærdly have troubles with their wives or have any problem at all, maybe only five out of hundred do, the rest are always perfect, so you happen to among the five percent…
“you only saw what they want you to see, no man is perfect, even pastor do have conflict, some of them are troubled even more than their followers but nobody notices because they are suppose to be perfect and live by example for others to emulate, that’s by the way, I and my wife are good, we are fine, thanks for asking…what church do you go to Fiana…
“is Fiona not Fia…I don’t go to any church, heavenly race is personal, so I run my own the way I know best, and people like me hærdly go to church, we are full of sin, and when we go to church and repents of our sin…we return back to our normal life and continue with sin, it has become part of us, there’s no point and I also work at the bar even Sundays, since I don’t go to church I stay their and attend to customers until other of my colleagues comes back after church and join me…
“can I invite you this Sunday, listen, like I said earlier, no man is perfect, don’t get intimidated if anybody act so perfect around you, non of us is, we are only walking in God’s perfected work which is the grace he made available to us through his son, Jesus Christ, and when you open your heart and accept Christ and you repent of your sins, leaving your sin behind and focusing on salvation which is Christ, and if you mean it by embracing this new life, you will see that those things, those sins you are use to doing will begin to look bad and irritating to you, what seem fun won’t be fun any more because deep down you are now a new creation old things has passed away, and gradually, you will get free from their strong hold, for instance if you are chain smoker, you take like twenty sticks of cigarette, you will find out that your intake will keep reducing everyday, from fifteen to ten and then five until you eventually stop, and whatever that it maybe holding you captive will slowly and gradually disappear, is a process Fiona, because theirs devil behind every bad addiction, Satan will try to pin you down with such act and wouldn’t want you to be free from it but with God and your determination you will eventually break loose…
“Hmmmm, you preach so well, you look good and preach well too, because of you I will try and come to your church this Sunday, give me the address. I will like to be under your preaching, you look and sound interesting already to me, although I don’t pay attention to all those preachers and church people that come preaching to me but you really do got my attention, I will be in your church this Sunday…hope you will recognize me if I come, even if you don’t I will still remind you…I know you have a lot of people you meet every Sunday… but please kindly drop me off at the next bustop, my house is not far from there…you can come in for a cup of chilled lemonade tea, I made it myself…will you like to have a taste of it…
Greg rejected the offer but thanked her all the same, he agreed to drop her at her stop, he drove her down to the bustop she said, and she alighted, stood with a disappointed smile and waved him good bye, Greg shouted out to her as she stood by the road
“I will not forget your name Fiona, I expect to see you on Sunday… goodbye.
Greg got home and Klein was out, Tim was home at the basket ball cot, playing with his two friends that visited,
“Hey boys, how are you all doing…
They all chorused “fine”, Tim ran to his father and hugged him
“I can see you are so happy with your friends around…where is your mum..
“I don’t know, she drove out and not back yet…
Greg left Tim with his friends and went to the house, he prepared food, one of Klein’s favorite, hoping to make her happy.
Klein came back in the evening, looking all moody, Greg wanted to know where she has being but that may probably bring up another quarrel which he was trying to avoid, Klein saw him in the living room with his study pad and ignored him, she went in,side and came out again to meet Greg as she began her normal quarrel
“You were out so early this morning, I guess you went out to see one of those your ladies that needs prayer or you visited the beer parlor again, what kind of pastor are you, running away from your house, you hærdly stay at home this days, I will expose you one of this days if you continue like this, keep on with your new found habit, I have not thought of what to do to you yet…and when I do, when I finally decided to deal with you, nobody can save you not even God…nonsense…
“I went out to see Mark and from there I stopped at the Mini mart to get somethings for the house…I made one of your favorite food darling…. so where have you being?
“do not patronize me with the food you made, do you understand me… why are you making it sound like a big deal, that suppose to be a normal thing to do….and what right do you have to ask me such question, you left the house without telling anybody and return home at the time you like, I also went out because I got places to go and you don’t have any right to ask me where I was, not as a husband because you are not even man enough, not as a pastor because you can not deceive me like you do to the congregation, not as the father of my child because you have not being a good example to him, not as anything because you are nothing, you are only at my mercy.
Greg ignored her and continued with his study pad, Klein became very angry that she was ignored and slap the pad out of Greg’s hand and it fell on the floor and broke into pieces, Greg looked at her not knowing what to do, he tried to remain calm even though he was boiling in,side of him with rage, he walked out on her into his room.
He can still hear her voice as she kept shouting and insulting him.
On Sunday morning, they all dressed for church very early as usual as Greg drove his family to church, on getting close to the auditorium, Klein who has never stop nagging since they left the house, picked up another quarrel with Greg, Tim, their son was seated at the back seat, he put his ear phone that the father bought for him on his ear to avoid hearing the mother’s nag
Klein kept shouting at Greg and Just then Greg suddenly pull the car to a halt, and Klein was surprise at the sudden stop
“Get down…right now, I said you should get down from the car Klein, if you can’t keep quiet, get out of the car …walk or fly to church or better still go back home…
Klein wanted to shout back but Greg hushed her with an angry voice and boiling temper, Klein was shock to see Greg angry, and asking her to get down from his car, she was speechless because she never expected such from him, Greg continued
“…get out Klein, I have had enough of this your constant nagging, what is your problem…no tell me what exactly did I do wrong, I try to be a good husband to you, a good father to our son and also be able to help people that the Lord put in my care yet you don’t want me to achieve any of this, I keep mute on every of your violent act not because I am scared or I don’t know what to do, but two people can not be mad at same time, in the same house, I can’t join in your madness rather I wanted to find a way to help you get off it, but you are pushing me real hærd, yes Klein, you are… I am a pastor and that contributed to me over looking some of your ill attitude, but how do I move forward, how do I even pray when I am mostly distracted because of you, I have learned how to pretend and act all is well in front of everyone when all is not really well, do you even consider Tim, Tim is affected and all I am trying is for it not to have a psychological effect on him, women are great achiever, they mend their home when they notice any lop h0le but yours is to scatter, God gave you to me… to be able to help me when I am down, pray and encourage me when needed, same here with me, to help you and to pray for you, to respect you and to love you but you keep making that difficult, instead of you to mend… you scatter, what exactly is my offence, where did I go wrong Klein, tell me, because this got to stop or I will leave the house for you, I can’t allow you to come between me and my God, No way, you are pushing me too hærd, do you want to frustrate and finally kill me, will you be happy if I am no more, no tell me, what do you want me to do that I am not doing right or not doing at all, Klein I love you and that’s why I have tolerated so much from you, today is Sunday, I took the wh0le night to prepare a sermon and prayed for a turn around in today’s service and here you are again, sometime all I need is the serenity, quietness to be able to commune with God but you make that unachievable, you are driving me nut… Klein, why do you allow the devil to be using you against me, why have you decided to be the devils workmansh¡p, why…Klein, I have prayed and fasted for my home to be restored but you have taken it upon you to be a candidate of trouble, what has gotten into you, this got to stop, and even if you have to continue making yourself available for the devil, tell him to flew from you today, tell him not today because another word from you again and I will push you out of this car and you will have to find your way, I can’t allow you to distract me from saving souls today. Remember what the bible said about a bad wife, is better to dwell in the wilderness alone than with a contentious and angry woman, do not be like proverb description of a bad woman, be like the proverb 31 woman Klein, even if you can’t be perfect like her just be close, don’t be a hindrance to our happiness….i am tired…so tired of your constant trouble…
Klein opened her eyes wide and watch as Greg kept shouting angrily at her, he was too angry and she can’t remember seeing him act in such a way, she saw that he meant every world, and kept quiet as he later starts the car again and drove to church, members came to greet them as they drove in.
Greg and his wife wore their normal smile, as if all was well, they greeted everyone around with a nice smile, Greg held his wife’s hand as they walked into the church,
People were so happy to see Greg and Klein, some of them began to wish for a perfect couple like pastor Greg and his wife, one of the most beautiful and happy couple. Nobody knows or understand the pain behind the cute smile, except Mark the assistant pastor to Greg, who knows just the little that Greg told him.
Everyone loved Pastor Greg and his beautiful wife Klein who was always filled with smile.
At the last seat roll of the church sat Fiona, she watched as Pastor Greg mounted the pulpit after the choir ministration. Fiona looked at his wife who looked upon her husband with a beautiful smile, Fiona was beginning to wonder if Pastor Greg and his wife ever had any quarrel at all, looking at how happy they look and act together.