Sadness – Time to Let It Go

This post is linked to Peter Pollock’s One Word Carnival  The word is; SADNESS

Sad Lady
courtesy photobucket.com

Many years ago, I had begun to acquire rental property in the city of Oakland.  In those days, $1000 offered would be a down payment to purchase a nice rental, and the payments to the bank would be covered by the rent.

By the time we met Tom and his wife, I had obtained a great rental property that was close to our church with a basement apartment and an upstairs apartment plus a small cottage in the rear.

My husband was busy working, so I found a handyman to do simple repairs and paint for me.  Then the basement apartment became vacant, and I received a phone call from my Pastor.

He said, “The Home of Peace just called me and wanted to know if we can find housing for a couple and their young son, who just arrived from the jungles of Peru.”  I told him that I would go and pick them up and show them my apartment that was ready.

Tom and his wife liked the furnished place and immediately gave me a months rent.  They also liked the fact that the apartment was so close to our church and they began to attend.

Tom had been traveling the world working on his doctorate and had married an English girl while he was studying at the University of Oxford.  For his research he needed to journey to the jungles of Peru to explore and document about the lives of the natives.

While they were living in Peru a strange thing happened to Tom.  He became a different person and began to do wild things like a mad man.  The natives called him the “Crazy Gringo.” 

During one of his angry spasms, the local authorities took him to the hospital, where the doctors said they could not help him, but allowed him to stay a few days in their clinic.  Tom requested that a missionary come to visit him.  He told the missionary, “I believe I am demon possessed, and I need you to help me.” 

The missionaries were taken back a step of two, because this was an appeal they had never experienced before.  They told him they would go home and read their Bible and return later.

After reading their Bible, they decided that perhaps they needed to fast a day and seek God’s direction before visiting Tom again.

When the missionaries returned, Tom was ready and willing to do what ever they suggested.   Very carefully they laid hands on him and commanded the evil spirit to leave and to never return. 

 

Then they signed the medical release for Tom, and took him, his wife and their baby home with them. 

The missionaries welcomed them to live in their home for six months, while they explained how to be born again and to serve God.  During this time they taught them how to apply God's Word to their lives.

 

James 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Tom related his story to us and suggested that we get together for Bible Study and prayer, which we began to do each week.

One evening they brought with them a woman guest that Tom had met at the Berkeley University where he was completing his doctorate.

The woman had heard Tom’s story of his experiences and decided that she might have an evil spirit.  She was continually depressed, and never smiled or laughed.  Tom and his wife had explained how to receive Jesus, but she was still plagued by a sorrowful mood.

As we prayed together, Tom, addressed the spirit in the woman and asked it’s name.  The woman slowly spoke in a harsh voice and said the word, “SADNESS.”

We were novices at all this, and I can’t say we helped the woman much.  She did enjoy the fellowship, and told us that she would begin to read her Bible.  I believe she wanted to keep her SAD outlook on life. 

Proverbs 12:25 (Sadness) Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word makes it glad.

At that time, I did not know that it was important to have the person agree that they are willing to give up their negative attitude (spirit of sadness) and receive an opposite attitude (spirit of happiness, gratitude and thankfulness). 

Choices and decisions can make or break us.  If we are experiencing self pity and wallowing in the mire of “poor me,” it is time to get up from there, and to begin to count our blessings. 

When we discover that God loves us unconditionally, and just as we are, then we realize that  he does not want us to remain that way. 

If we are SAD,  perhaps we should exchange sadness for a merry heart according to:

Proverbs 17:22  A  merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones and by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 12:15  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkens unto counsel is wise.

This post is shared at: Tell Me a Story
 This post is also Shared with Laura at The Wellspring