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Contemporary Christian Creative Nonfiction

How hard to choose or think find a topic because it appears to be a recurring resolution to make changes in one's personal beliefs or having a deity to idolize. Why idolize? Sometimes others call it idolatry when it comes to venerating the character of a God. A god who has the power to institute miracles of healing and providing what a human being needs or a God who can change the character of a person when that person seems to be living what is called against the norms of society. For example a family man who engage himself to the many physical pleasures although he is married and has a young family to care and feed. His wife would remind him of his responsibilities but all these have landed into his deaf ears. He is lucky to have a working wife to help him look after their growing brood. When he arrives home late at night he made alibis that he had worked overtime but the truth is he went with friends to engage in night escapades, drinking or play card games. He didn't mind if the kids are already dressed for school and he would snapped a groggy look to them. The worst thing from all this maybe mistakenly or intentionally, he brings home the food leftovers from where they have eaten and that is what his family would eat. The house helper cannot say anything or the wife who are busy to divide the money that she gets from work. The husband has a stoic preposition to do what he likes. Then one day he asks his wife to bring their children to a new church, different where they were attending their grade school classes. His wife and their house helper had a bit of emotional relief as they hear this to be a big change in the man's life. Imagine to become a religious man to lead his family. So the wife informed her children about the change and they took them to the new church. They followed stricter rules about food called the clean and unclean food. Exercise the one day rest during the week doing nothing. So the man brought home food that they would eat for that rest day which is Saturday. The man made friends in the church and the wife was wondering how the religious rituals were observed when there was foot washing and partaking the ceremony of Last Supper during Easter. It is forcible to join such religious rituals and the most exciting part is observing the Feast of Tabernacles where they have to leave their houses and go to a certain place to meet the Lord and rejoice the Feast with God. The members seem to be rejoicing indeed when those who were capable would pool together to serve a special meal with members whom they were newly introduced to. Praying for the sick as a group took place and special days for seniors were also observed. What more do the members look for after a rejuvenating experience has culminated feeling refresh on what will they experience in the world to come. But wait , the family of this man and his wife doesn't look like there was a change in their lifestyle. The man still continue to be out during night time and his children were sleeping already when he arrives home. The wife doesn't understand why this is the case. She also remember that her husband made a promise and declared that it was a year of change that they would become a happy family. When will that promise be done? Their children were also expecting that their father will change his ways. the worst part his friends to whom he hang out now are members of the new church. But the wife pick up what are the good practices she has to impart to her five children. Occasional hand outs from her husband was put into good use like contracting a man to build their house and she even bought all the materials the contractor asked her to buy. She learned the measurement of wood ,concrete nails, planks of plywood and bags of cement as it was half concrete and plywood one story house. Still the husband didn't change his ways at all. He would make resolutions from year to year but he goes back to his vices like his friends to have develop strong ties. The wife added some other sideline to her job in the office and entered real estate in which she gained two lots inside a subdivision because the lot their house was built was a rental lot. what does religion contribute to a man's life? Is it not to eliminate the ways of this world and prepare oneself to live in a spiritual world where man live forever , there will be no more tears and no more problems to be solved because it will be a new world, a life devoid of the pleasures of the flesh wherein pain and suffering is erased. In preparation to this the wife remained to live and disciplined herself together with her children and they work it out together to excel in their educational pursuits not being affected of their father's indifference of his paternal physical and material responsibility of child rearing. Then he began to experience the effects of not taking care of his health when he has bouts of arthritis that sometimes paralyzed his ability to walk and has to use crutches for weeks going to work. What has become of the man who maintained his stature of being superior to his wife misinterpreting the church doctrine that he deserved respect by all means but lacking respect to his wife claiming his unfailing love to her is it love to transfer the sole responsibilities of parenthood to her? Is that not spoiling himself to leave everything to her and she has to answer whatever problems the family faces? His wife and their children learned to face the challenges decide for themselves whatever problems they had to face. They didn't consulted him anymore and they even left the church they were attending. His wife continued to work hard on her way for promotion in the office and looking to build a house at the site where her commission lots are located. They can sell the house they were living. to the lot owner. .

January 02, 2023 18:31

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RBE | Illustration — We made a writing app for you | 2023-02

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