1 Samuel 25-31

I’ve made a practical fool out of myself.

Situations layout  that  you probably underwent at one point in life, myself included:

“Feeling not good enough when you are hanging out with a closie(similar to a bestie) and everyone in the group is competitive and undermines themselves to give credit of  a situation where the closie outperforms everyone to the extent where its to the point that he/she(everyone in the group except for the “closie”) is denying hisself/herself”or is comparing hisself/herself to the “closie” as a result one feels excluded and  self-pity and slams the brakes that prevent the person from  living a fulfilled life”

“When one is getting physically struck –hit and slapped-by a parent and even after the policemen come to your house to address this issue, one week later the parent continues to do that”

“Roommate problems: one of them being that although tempted to move out, you didn’t”

In  these situations all of these chanced from unfortunate circumstances where it can be quenched with “its just the way it is”. And yes, this happens in many cases.  However this is caused by choosing to remain passive because one does not want to “disturb the peace” for fear if they were to take action or “be assertive” then it is “disturbing the peace”.  I’m here to tell you that this is wrong.

Before I proceed, I want to caution that there is entitled pain as consequence from each of these  or any of these situations. I would cry the countless drops of tears and kneeling on the floor each time my father abused me. Whenever  I was hanging out with my social circles, I will start to brainstorm ideas to have ulterior motives whenever I entered these relationships while trying to drown out pain through overeating.  For my roommates where the situation was that a friend of my roommate tried to turn them against me and succeded and I was wallowed in my pain by writing letters to God. God allow these things happen which denotes trials to take place for a reason.

 On another note, I want to add that unfortunately some Christian small group leaders, administration, and organisations have taught that in these situations, it is best to stay silent and Trust God.  That happened with me.

In the scriptures,  Matthew 25:1-13  the narrative depicts the consequences of the five foolish bridesmaids that were experiencing on bridesgroom day due to lack of preparation of obtaining olive oil to use as a light source for the wedding dinner; the lack of punctuality (to run errands to get the olive oil) because the wise 5 other bridesmaids-they were 10 in total-to eat dinner with the bridesgroom. And the 5 foolish bridesmaids ended up missing dinner. There this scripture implies that it is foolish to let people walk all over you.

One of the etiquette to become an organ donor is nothing really other than alerting the representative in the DMV location after passing the driver’s license test and sharing it to family. ON that token, in the past, to fulfill the etiquette to honoring the king back in the day was to give the portion/type of food two hundred  quantity counts of an offering food , two skins quanity counts  of a beverage the liquor and five quantity counts of an animal to be sacrificial before the king that reigns. The context was during the trying time of disorganized political organization coming from King David time. King David’s protection of land and the flocks of animals such as Abigail’s family called for a tribute such as this etiquette mentioned above(and to compensate for the strong security protecting against valuables that could have been stolen), which Nabal,(1 Samuel 25:18-19) Abigail’s husband refused to fulfill the etiquette. Nabal also treated Abigail like trash and if he would have multiple wives he would degraded each and every one of them (1 Samuel 25:2-3, 39) Abigail, being torn from the two 1)being a doormat and give in through compliance and fulfill the etiquette for David’s protection of the land and pleasing her neighbors 2)  please her husband-bad tempered- and to not do the etiquette whatsoever.  Instead what Abigail chooses to do is to carry out the etiquette while pacifying her husband, as she does this by chasing the pursuit of gathering large amounts of food. The breakdown of her devout serving the king is providing two hundred loaves of bread,  two skins of wine, and five sheep and more. Nabal not only refuses to do the etiquette but throws the King’s messengers which were also the King’s servants insults that were undesirable.  Abigail does not let her husband’s dysfunction rule over her and being the Proverbs 31 wife she is, rides her donkey to King David and his men with those supplies in honoring the king. Explaining the given circumstance that is Abigail is faced with and her response to the circumstance. King David, after hearing it, blesses Abigail (read 1 Samuel 26 to find out who Abigail ends up marrying someone else after Nabal; twas 2^nd marriage ;)  )

This true narrative in the bible also speaks volumes on the concept of on not being a doormat for other people.  Abigail assumes responsibility for her own actions and lives the consequences  of her actions. Abigail act on the urgency of the procedure of honoring the king-the compilation of the supplies-while trying to pacify his husband at the same time(It mentions through the narrative in the bible that she went into the city/countryside/house/whatever it was and attained most valued material items of King David’s territory, preventing from her husband, her, and her family from suffering from utter destruction. This represents not only just how sin affects people around us but also Abigail’s kickbutt character.

As you picture yourself heading down the road of hurt, will you choose the path of least resistance(wallow in your pain) or will you reach out and share to people providing room for healing and extended love to shine towards others?