Thursday, February 13, 2020

Talking Love

I'm teaching a Bible Study on Sunday, February 16 on 1st Corinthians 13. I wrote a book years ago based on these Scriptures. The publisher wanted a series of novellas based on the chapter. She assigned me I Cor: 13:4. .

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not proud." NIV 

I based my book on a composite of stories I've heard from unhappy wives. I've spoken with women who are married to unkind men, and each time I do, I thank God for my considerate husband. Cruel people, male or female, bring heartache.

Many of these women (or men) who've confided in me have unkind mates, and they've suffered in silence. Others fight back and households become a war zone. A few look for love in wrong places.

Remaining  kind and submissive to an unruly, harsh person is tough, and it's a touchy subject to many.  Numerous Christians believe a woman should be submissive to a cruel, abusive husband at all costs...even at the expense of life and limb. I don't believe that, but my belief  about that is for another day.

Since this is Valentine weekend, let's talk about love and kindness from a positive viewpoint, and how my heroine dealt with it.

The female character in my book, Georgia, loves her husband and chooses kindness over retaliation. She's not weak. She has options, but she willfully makes a choice.  

Now this book is a novella. If I'd written a full length novel, I might have had Georgia go a different direction.  The Scripture says "love is kind." There are many ways to show kindness, and Georgia chose one, but others were available to her.

I had several ask me this question, "if Georgia's husband hadn't had a change of heart, what would she have done?"

That's another book.

I hope you'll read Georgia's story. You'll find it online. It's also available in KU on Amazon.




Editorial Reviews

Review

Book Review
Reviewed by Julie Hodgson for Readers' Favorite

Gay N. Lewis' Clue into Kindness is a story about Georgia, a woman who loves her husband, but he often says things that make her feel sad. He doesn't think before he speaks; then situations arise where he does things that embarrass Georgia or her friends. Georgia is a kind woman and always tries to avoid situations where her husband verbally abuses her. Her kindness goes above and beyond to keep the peace with her husband, but she always feels like she is walking on egg shells! Even her friends do not like him.

Her life and situation change after attending a party at her father-in-law's house. Her husband Alan hears some home truths about his behaviour from his friends during the party. Hearing these things about his behaviour, he tries hard to mend his ways. But could it be too late for Georgia to accept his willingness to change? Especially after the years of verbal abuse she experienced? It is an arduous task indeed for her. Do we love unconditionally? Georgia certainly did, and even when temptation comes her way she is steadfast and loyal towards her husband. She firmly believes that kindness will overcome anything presented to her.

Gay N. Lewis' Clue into Kindness illustrates from Corinthians 1:13 that "love is kind." This is certainly not a romantic novella, but a story of the struggle of love and the power of love to overcome adversity, like a husband who can be cruel in what he says. Verbal abuse is not and should not be acceptable anywhere, and certainly not in marriage. Georgia shows utmost kindness to this, and Gay N. Lewis is adept at describing how Georgia feels and the ultimate changes that her husband would/should go through. A heartrending and well written story.



What are your Valentine plans? I hope they include an extra dose of kindness to everyone in your life. 

God loves you.

And He is kind.




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