The Virtuous Wife

The Virtuous Wife

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands. She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Friday, May 10, 2013

ABORTED #1 - A mother meets her aborted baby in Heaven

LIZ -- (enters backward, looking around turns 360, pokes own body in several places, lifts each knee high, tilts head) What's going on here?! (feels face)
AMY -- Hello. Welcome.
LIZ -- (turns) I suppose YOU are part of my dream too.
AMY -- You're not dreaming, Elizabeth.
LIZ -- How do you know my name?
AMY -- I've been assigned to show you around.
LIZ -- Show me around.
AMY -- Yes. I'm your tour guide.
LIZ -- Show me around where?
AMY -- Here. (motions broadly)
LIZ -- I suppose I would be grateful to have a tour guide, if I knew where HERE was. (pokes own body, flexes each leg, feels face)
AMY -- Oh, I'm sorry. They told me you'd know that you were going to end up in Heaven.
LIZ -- Heaven! Oh, that explains it!
AMY -- Explains what?
LIZ -- My body hasn't felt and looked this good in fifty years. I'm eighty-one years old. Look at me! I'm young again!
AMY -- Oh, yes, of course, everybody in Heaven is in the prime of their lives. I thought everybody knew that.
LIZ -- Well, what do you know!? You mean, I'll always be like this?
AMY -- Yes, of course.
LIZ -- No more cane? No more walker? No more wheel chair?
AMY -- No. This is Heaven. Everything is perfect here.
LIZ -- Well, what do you know?! So, when I fell asleep at the nursing home, I died. And then, in the twinkling of an eye, here I am.
AMY -- That's why you thought you were dreaming.
LIZ -- Yes. (flexing and poking) Isn't this something?!
AMY -- (points back to own exit) Would you like me to show you around?
LIZ -- Yes.
AMY -- (turns) Right this way....
LIZ -- Tell me, did any of my relatives make it here?
AMY -- (turns back) I'm sorry...
LIZ -- ...I didn't think so. None of my family ever stepped foot in church. Pity. They'd really like it here.
AMY -- I was going to say that I'm sorry that only ONE of your relatives made it here.
LIZ -- One.
AMY -- Yes.
LIZ -- Who? I can't...
AMY -- ...Your daughter.
LIZ -- What is that, some kind of joke?! I'm an old maid. I never got married. I never had any chil... Oh, no!
AMY -- (turns) Come. I asked her to come and greet you.
LIZ -- No!!
AMY -- (turns back) No? Are you saying that you don't want to see your own daughter?
LIZ -- Listen, I already asked for forgiveness for that. Is this your way of punishing me again?
AMY -- We're not trying to punish you. Your daughter wants to meet her mother.
LIZ -- (hands up defensively) No. I'm sorry. I can't see her. I just can't. How could you possibly think that I would want to meet the baby that I aborted?! I've been trying to forget her for sixty years. How cruel can you be?!
MEG -- (enters) Mother?
LIZ -- (to Amy) This is really a sick joke. Who is this person?
AMY -- This is Margaret.
LIZ -- (shakes finger) How did you know I named my baby Margaret?
MEG -- You gave me my name, Mother.
LIZ -- You people are really sick! I know. I know what this is. This isn't Heaven at all. I'm in Hell and you're going to torment me with my sin forever, aren't you?
MEG -- No, mother, you're in Heaven.
AMY -- We're not trying to torment you, Elizabeth. You are really in Heaven. We just thought you'd like to meet your daughter.
LIZ -- There is no way this person is my daughter. She's the same age as I am... was... Oh... Oh, no. Don't tell me...
AMY -- Margaret arrived here in Heaven a fully formed adult in the prime of her life.
MEG -- If you don't want me, Mother, I'll... I'll just go. (turns away)
LIZ -- Margaret.
MEG -- (turns to) Yes, Mother?
LIZ -- You really are her, aren't you?
MEG -- (nods)
LIZ -- (to Amy) How can that be? The last thing I remember before I passed out on the abortion table was that they were counting Margaret's body parts into a glass jar.
AMY -- How do you explain YOUR body?
LIZ -- Of course. If God can raise the dead, He can do anything.
MEG -- Would you like me to go, Mother?
LIZ -- (to Margaret) You turned out so beautiful!
MEG -- Do you really think I'm pretty, Mother?
LIZ -- Oh, Margaret, (crossing to Meg) If I had known you were so beautiful, I would have never... (hugs Meg) I'm sorry. (wipes eyes, turns to Amy) I want to go back.
AMY -- Back where?
LIZ -- To earth. I want to tell them not to listen to the abortionists. It's NOT just a fetus. It's not just a blob of tissue. It's a beautiful human being they're killing. When I killed my baby, I robbed the world of a her beauty and her talent. Only God knows what great contributions she could have made to humanity if I would have let her live. Send me back.
AMY -- I'm sorry. It's too late.
LIZ -- Then, at least let me go back and tell them that there's forgiveness and then they can meet their babies in Heaven if they trust in Jesus.
AMY -- I'm sorry.
LIZ -- Can't I do ANYTHING?
AMY -- You're in Heaven. You can celebrate your reunion with your baby. (turns) Come. The Lord is having a reunion party for you. (exit)
LIZ -- (exit arm wrapped around Meg) If I had only known.
-Bob Snook-

Psalm 58
1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
2 No, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5 Which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skilfully.
6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow, let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

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