Now we're on track. :D Please note that this is not the same pastor's wife I have written about in the past.
The Prompt: The pastor’s wife has a secret and she tries to hide
it from the congregation. But someone finds out. What happens?
It had been obvious for some time that something had been bothering the pastor's wife, but no one knew what. She had been acting nervous or jittery, like she had drunk too much coffee. Other times, her mind seemed elsewhere. It was on a Wednesday night, right before the church closed its doors, that someone found out what was wrong.
Judy had offered to lock up the doors for her husband. She checked all the rooms to make sure that no one else was there. Then she stood outside and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her purse. She lit one and breathed in deeply.
"Mrs. Murphy?" a male voice asked from the side of the building.
She coughed and hid the cigarette behind her back. "Who's there?"
"It's Hank Williams. I'm a member of your church."
"Oh, I didn't know anyone else was still out here."
"I didn't know you smoked."
Judy blushed deeply and slowly pulled the cigarette out. "Not many people do. It's a terrible habit. I'm trying to quit, but...it's hard." Her voice quivered.
"I understand," Hank said kindly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I have a problem too. I'm trying to quit gambling. It's ruining my marriage." He paused. "I take it one day at a time, with God's help."
"I try. It just seems like, well, that God's strength isn't enough sometimes. Terrible for a pastor's wife to say, I know."
"Not so bad." He laughed. "It's unexpected, but maybe it's true. Don't get me wrong. God is powerful, but maybe God didn't intend for us to carry our burdens alone. He put people in our lives to help us. You shouldn't be ashamed of your weakness. We all got 'em. Who knows? Maybe some people in church can relate to you."
Judy's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Hank. I think you're right."
He gave her a hug.
Hank became an answered prayer for Judy. She came clean in front of the whole congregation the next service. Everyone was quite understanding, and some even told the truth about other personal struggles they had. Together, they formed a prayer group and helped each other through their trials.
I like.
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