Karen's Choice

                     "Shall I wear this green dress? Or Is the purple one better?"

she asked herself as she stood in front of her wardrobe mirror. Modeling both of the dresses one after the other, she tried to compare and decide. She found it difficult.

                                               Karen quit this. She took both those dresses and threw them on the bed. She quickly picked up a long-forgotten orange ensemble. "Yes, this is it! For this party I will look radiant in orange!" she babbled as she jumped up and down.

                                              Her Husband Melwin sighed. He did not dare interfere with her. She would be most intractable and according to him, unreasonable in this mood. Silently, he waited patiently. He had a lot of experience earlier. he used to interfere and ask Karen to be objective and rational in her choosing dresses. But the only result of his spiel was a cold war which sometimes dragged on for weeks. He had given up. Karen is Karen, he decided, wisely.

                                               They had many squabbles about the menu, the restaurants they want to go to, and any decision involving a choice. Karen vacillated, changed at the last minute, and with no rationale perceptible to poor Melwin. He wondered often how she decided to say yes years ago when he proposed to her!

                                               He came back to the present as Karen completed her makeup and stepped out. "Come on, Melwin darling, we will be late," she said. "As though I was the one delaying," thought Melwin, but remained silent and patient as he escorted her to their car.

                                               They drove to the hotel. Melwin surrendered the car to a valet and they both entered the ballroom. Many visitors were also entering then. There were a lot of bobs and curtsies as they greeted each other and bundled to enter the room together.

                                               The waltzes and the conversations kept them occupied for most of the night. It was nearing midnight that they looked at each other and left the room.

                                               "My dress was a success, Melwin dear," began Karen as they walked out, " all the women were asking about it! I am so happy and pleased!"

                                               "Oh that is great dear," absently replied Melwin. They were accosted by a poor homeless woman. "For God's sake give me a dollar Sir and Madam, I have to feed my little girl. We haven't eaten for three days now," she sobbed. She was disheveled and wore a dirty dress which was a little more than a rag.

                                               "Go away, you shameless woman. Can't you find some decent work? Why do you go about like this begging?" chastised Karen as she instinctively moved away from the beggar woman. Melwin was more sympathetic. he covertly gave her a dollar bill without Karen noticing it, and asked the woman to scoot off. She looked gratefully at him as she shuffled out of their way.

                                               They reached home. Karen was tired and got ready for bed. Melwin enjoyed a cup of coffee and came in a little late. He opened his Bible and read a small passage from the Psalms. Then he knelt down by the bed and prayed. Only after that did he go to bed.

                                               Karen smirked. "How faithfully you pray darling? How is it helping you?" she mocked him as they slowly went to sleep. This was the usual trend. Melwin continued to be silent and patient. He let out a silent prayer to God, "Thank you Lord for helping me to develop my patience!"

                                               How did these two get married? Melwin had fallen head over heels in love with the capricious Karen. He adored her. His parents and family told him that it was not right to get married to someone not sharing their faith. Their Pastor also counseled him. But Melwin's mind was made up. He gave them some strange rationalizations like, "I will, with God's help change her and make her a believer. Just give me time."

                                               His Pastor Charles clearly said to him, "Dear Melwin, what if you lose your faith while trying to convince her? The Word of God is clear in this matter. We cannot be unequally yoked together with those outside our faith. Please listen to me and wait. The Lord will show you, someone, He has in mind for you."

                                               Karen meanwhile had taken control of poor Melwin. He could not resist her. She enjoyed her power over this poor man and boasted to her friends about him. Melwin was led like a sheep to slaughter by her. She commanded him and demanded things which he scurried to get for her, by hook or crook. Things came to a head in the family of Melwin.

                                     "I am not willing to give up my Karen," declared Melwin vehemently as he sat in the family council. That was the point of no return. Though the entire family loved him immensely, they could not convince him to do the right thing by the Word of God. His mum convulsed in sobs as she hugged Melwin. Unmoved, Melwin continued to hold to his word.

                                            That was how Melwin landed up with this tumultuous and impulsive character, Karen. She continued to mold him more than one way. But Melwin was persistent in his prayers. The tearful prayers of his mother and family also followed Karen.

                                           Through the years, Melwin melted Karen. Was it his attitude, humility, goodness, or magnanimity? Take your choice. She started thinking, "What makes Melwin so good? Why am I not able to irritate him as I do almost everyone else?"

                                               She thought, pondered, and mused about this. Something she usually wouldn’t do, all her life. Is there something in all that Bible stuff he speaks? Not only he, but all of his people keep speaking of that.

                                       "I don't seem to be happy. I don't know what I am going to do next. Nether satisfaction, nor contentment, nor joy is mine. I manipulate people my way and try to enjoy seeing them squirm. But it is at most a momentary pleasure. But this other way seems to contrary to mine. They are all so magnanimous and kind. How come? Should I give it a trial?"

                                               She took a month or so to decide. To share this with Melwin. When she opened up and told Melwin, he was dumbstruck. He never ever expected that God would bring such a sea change in his wife. "Is it Karen speaking?" he thought as she shared.

                                               Suddenly, he felt the Lord speaking to him, "Son, you kept on asking me to convict Karen. When I begin doing that, you are so reluctant to accept it. What is the matter with you? Do you not know that I can answer prayers? is there anything too hard for me to do?"

                                               "Sorry, Lord! Nothing is too hard for you. Thank you for answering my prayer in a wonderful way. Help me to continue to speak your words, words of grace, and truth to her so she can safely come to accept you. Speak through me Lord, please."

                                               Slowly, Karen started to look at some Bible verses. The Holy Spirit God was working in her spirit and mind, bringing her the conviction. She was so different now. Melwin could not believe if this was the same person whom he stubbornly married, three years ago. She started attending church and listening to the Word of God. The transformation of this impulsive woman took time. It was not a sudden one-day event. Bit by bit Karen's stubbornness left her. She thawed as it were slowly and let the Holy Spirit work in her.

                                          God gave Melwin the patience to help Karen slowly emerge out from her sinful ways, into the light of salvation. Pastor Charles, Melwin's mum, and sister, all helped him to nurture this yet-to-be-born baby. It was a slow and tumultuous gestation. The spiritual transformation of Karen.

                                         Suddenly the satanic powers would besiege her and she would start shouting out at Melwin. One night as this happened, Karen jumped up. She fell on Melwin and started biting him. He didn't know what to do. The Holy Spirit God in him responded with intense prayer which chained Karen's ferocity. She simpered and sizzled but was cowed down.

                                     When Pastor Charles was called, he organized some special fasting prayers and exorcised Karen. the residing evil spirits came out of her one by one. This took some weeks as prayer warriors spent time and tears in prayer.

                                   "Why Lord? Why is this taking so much time?" asked Melwin in prayer. The Lord replied, "These are things which need fasting and prayer." He directed Melwin to the account of the father who brought his epileptic son to the disciples of the Lord one day. The Lord was upon the mountain. The disciples tried to pray but the evil spirit would not come out. They were unsuccessful. When the Lord came down, the hapless father went to him with the request. The Lord healed that boy and delivered him to the father. The Lord explained that these are some things that need fasting and prayer.

                                   After nearly one full year, Karen took the decision. This time it was not an impulsive one. She had thought about it for a long time. She considered it from every conceivable angle and came to the final decision. For Christ. A great joy descended upon Melvin, his family, the Pastor, and the prayer warriors, as they led Karen to the Baptismal tank after she humbly accepted the Lord.

                             "Thanks be to the great Lord God" their hearts sang in unison.