Sorrow that Heals
Written by Jennifer Azubuike Half an hour before midnight on the night of her weekly prayer. Nozi was seated on her bedroom floor with her laptop open and facing her. She has been watching a movie on it since 10 PM. At first, she wanted something to keep her awake until her quiet time at 11 PM, but the movie’s storyline got captivating. The protagonist, Dave Addison, was tricked out of his inheritance after his father’s death. He served and relied on financial support from his wealthy aunt, who he thought was doing him a favor. However, he was about to uncover the truth. At 10:45 PM, Nozi felt a nudge in her heart to stop the movie and prepare to start her quiet time, however, when she glanced at the time at the bottom of the screen and noted that she had 15 minutes more, she shrugged off the nudge and continued the movie. At 11 PM, the gentle nudge repeated but the movie was nearing its climax and Nozi could not pull away. “I will start at 11:30. Thirty minutes should be enough. It is also closer to midnight so I can start praying right after.” She convinced herself. After recognizing the peculiar circumstances surrounding his life, Dave began seeking the truth. However, his pursuit was cut short when his Aunt suddenly passed away, leaving him feeling depressed about losing his benefactor. The son of the wealthy deceased woman arrived in town to mourn his mother and take over her estate. After the funeral, he planned to dismiss all staff, including his cousin Dave, liquidate all assets, and move away with the money. He was succeeding until it was time to sell the mansion that had previously housed his mother. He couldn’t sell it because the house was in his uncle’s name, not his mother’s. This realization led to the unraveling of the truth about the estate ownership. When Nozi looked at the time again, it was 12:15 AM. She felt a pang of guilt that it was past midnight and she had failed to observe her quiet time nor prayed. While wallowing in guilt but still unable to pull herself away from the movie, she continued until the end. At 12:45 AM, Nozi closed the laptop and knelt beside her bed to pray, but the guilt of disobedience and disappointment in herself for indiscipline clouded her mind. Scenes from the movie replayed in her mind too. She considered giving up on praying and going to bed, but in that dilemma, she whispered. “Dear Lord, I have sinned. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to choose a movie over time with you. Forgive me.” She started the first song that came to mind. “What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!” As she sang, she felt her heart flood with a strong sense of sorrow. She cried, repented more, worshiped, and ended praying intensely for the next hour. * * * Dear reader, I wanted to remind us that “The kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT Nozi’s illustration above is considered sinful because she did not yield when prompted by the Holy Spirit, although to some people it may not appear sinful. The key point is to promptly return whenever the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin in our journey with Christ. Till next time, stay lifted! Read other uplifting posts here
