hardly seems possible, and yet this was her story. His wife drank. She would sneak a drink of liquor every once in a while. Somehow my client found out about it. She took it upon herself to befriend the pastor’s wife. Once more her concern was for the testimony of the church. There had been one scan dal and another would be too much. This was her reason for befriending the woman. Occasionally, the pastor’s wife would call up the woman and ask her to come and get her from some bar. She would, of course, oblige. Sonfe- times she would park out in front of the bar and wait for long periods of time until she came out.. During these periods she would brood over her af fairs and troubles. She brooded about the first pastor, she brooded about this pastor’s wife. Then, there was another thing which occurred to her. You know, you sit and start sorting over all the morbid things of your life and you can certainly find enough to keep you busy. That is, you can if you choose to live that kind of a defeated life. She also reminded herself of the fact that the sister she lived with (they were both unmarried), was a dominat ing, bossy, stubborn soul. “Life is very tough,” she thought as she sat sorting over her miseries. Paul advises every believer, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” But this was not true with this woman. She would rather dwell on the morbid things. Her ministry was to wait for a ruined life, and it was a reluctant ministry. “Why do I have to do this?” she reasoned. “If she would have be haved herself, "I’d be home.” Finally one night she said to herself, “Why should I sit out in this car all by my self. I guess I’ll go in and have a drink, too.” When she did, she learned some thing: a couple of drinks can make life look much better. There are a lot of people who have found this out. They invest a good deal of money try ing to find some temporary peace. It is only for a short time, but it is there. 8
FEATURED JULY RA P IO MESSAGE
The Drinking Woman
by Dr. Henry Brandt
S o m e t im e s t h e s t o r ie s of real life are even more difficult to com prehend than those made up by the best fiction writers. A woman in her late 40’s came to me who said she was a Christian and very active in a cer tain church. To her great disappoint ment, however, the pastor had become involved with one of the women. It was an unfortunate scandal a n d brought disgrace upon the church. She in turn felt quite bitter about the pas tor because of her burden for the work. Then another pastor cdme along. It
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