When Peter finally came home, he had this incredible story, that Jesus had risen from the dead and even talked to him. He said that this proved that everything Jesus had told them was true, and that He would meet them later in Galilee. Great, just when I thought Peter would come to his senses, he comes home to meet with a dead man's ghost. And now he wants to go fishing with some of his buddies who came along with him. What a revolting development this has turned out to be. He probably even expects to have sex after all these years. Fat chance I thought to myself! But then I was his wife. Just one of those sacrifices us wives have to make I guess. (Oh I'm so ashamed, when think of the way I behaved. I was so stubborn, prideful and unforgiving. I even thought God was pleased with my behavior and independent spirit.)
Peter was home for just a few days, when he said that they had met Jesus while they were out fishing, and He help them catch another big haul of fish. They must have, because Peter reeked of fish again when he came back home. Then Peter was back off to Jerusalem again, to follow his Jesus ghost.
I had not seen Peter for a while, when I heard rumors that strange things where happening around the Holy City. That Jesus was taken up into the heavens and ten days later, fire came down, and Peter spoke a foreign language and to a large crowd. I think that what happened, it was all so confusing at the time. They said that over 5,000 people believed Peter's message and became followers of Jesus, and now Peter was their new spokesman. Great, just when I though there was the a chance, but no—not Peter. Now he was the new ringleader and people were following him and getting healed and even by others disciples as well.
Over the months and years Peter would come home for short visits. He always told me that he loved me and that God loved me too. (I knew that I just didn't realize how much He really did love me.) But I told Peter, he and God had a strange way of showing it. Peter talked to me of a new kind of love. But all I saw was a man who loved someone else more than me, and he didn't care about my feelings one way or the other.
He told me long before, that God's love was unconditional and that we were to always to love and forgive one another, no matter how much they hurts us. That was easy for him to say, considering how much he had hurt me. Peter also shared how Jesus had forgiven him, when he had denied Jesus three times. Ya right, and now he expected or hoped that I would do the same for him. Peter even asked for my forgiveness and told me that he was sorry many times, but I didn't believe him.
Peter was always traveling, yet he would stop by the house from time to time and tell me where he had been and what all God was doing for others. Peter said that people were even being healed by his shadow or touching him. One time he even told me that he had been arrested and beaten, and another time an angel came to helped him escape from a prison cell. I always knew Peter had an active imagination, but did he really expects me to believed all this stuff too?
Then there came the persecution of those who follow the teaching of Jesus, Christians as they we now called. Many were beaten and others killed or their possessions were taken away. Because of that threat, Peter didn't see me very much. He said, he did want to put my life in danger and that he was concerned about my heart. He told me, he always prayed for me and that he would continue to. I didn't need his prayers, but I thanked him anyway. And nothing was wrong with my heart that I knew, or so I thought.
As time went by, things settled down in the region, and we lived together again, but he would still go off and preach or talk to believers. It didn't really matter we were like two different people. Peter was kind and tried to please me and I tried to do the same for him. Yet, people seemed to love him more and they would come great distances to talk him about Jesus. We still worshiped together when we visited the temple to pray or on certain Festivals or Holy Days. But thing were not the same, Peter had his God and I had mine, the same went for most of our friends. We didn't talk much either. Every now and then Peter would try and talk to me, but then I would end up lecturing him and he would get angry sometimes. However, it was usually me who was angry with him, because it still seemed he just didn't care for the things that I liked or wanted. I didn't feel appreciated and he probably felt the same way too. I think he felt like I was probably his thorn in the flesh, even though he said, he loved me.
I rarely told Peter that I loved him. Oh how I regretted that. Then one day word came back to me from an old friend and his wife. They told me that Peter had been crucified upside down. I didn't believe them at first. Peter always had a martyr complex or wanted to do things different. But not this and why now? Then the realization hit me, my poor Peter was really dead. I tried to be strong, but I crumbled to the ground in a ball of sobs and tears.
The next few days, I cried and cried again until there was no more tears. I was angry and my heart was broken. My mother had die awhile back and now Peter, I was truly alone. My soul was broken and there was no one to heal me. Many friends of Peter came by the house and tried to comfort me, but it didn't help much. Until a month later, when a friend brought me a copy of a letter Peter had written. I had never bothered or cared about his letters before. But now I wanted to read one, as if my life depended on it, even if it was a copy.
After reading his letter several times, everything seem to make more sense. I wept again as I poured out my heart to God and asked Jesus to help me. My loving husband was willing to die also that others may be set free from the bonds of sin, deception and unforgiveness. That life was about sacrifice and loving God, which is done through submission to The Truth and loving the Lord with all our heart.
There was such passion in Peter's words. He even wrote a portion on Godly living regarding husbands and wives, I can't say that I was that way. Oh, if I had only known, but my pride had blinded me and I wasn't willing to forgive. I had been deceived by the satan and I did realize it. I'm so sorry Peter, that day God saved me through the words of my dearest Peter. Now, I truly love Jesus Christ and Peter too, even though Peter is gone now.
It's better late than never, but while the grace of God rest upon me. I will try to teach and help other women and wives the lesson I learned the hard way. That whether are husband have a passion for Christ or not, we are to love God and to honor our husbands through obedience. That our husband are the head of a marriage as Christ is head of the Church. Wives should not to be jealous in any situation, our husbands are not our possession or called to cater or pander to all our wants and carnal desires. As wives, we were given by God to help, assist and honor them, not to control them. But must of all, we are to honor God.
God places in every man/husband a vision and nothing should stop him from fulfilling his role. Wives shouldn't argue with their husbands, it a waste of time in energy. God is able to correct him and any mistakes he may make without our interference, and make it work out for His good and glory. So ladies, join in the great adventure of married life that God designed and see where the Lord takes you. Enjoy the intimate times along the way, even through the difficult times. Life is meant to be enjoyed and love is a special bond, a covenant right between God and your husband. You'll never know how long you'll have him, so enjoy the times you have together. Your children will come and go, but a marriage is for life.
Our lives are meant to be shared with God, our husband and help others. Together we are one with Him, and nothing can separate us from that love, even when we are apart or feel alone. We are also to support our husband with a kind and gentle spirit. Our spiritual authority comes through submission, just as it was for Sarah and her husband, Abraham. If we claim to be the daughters of Sarah, the daughters of God, we will have that same spirit. We must also cast away all fears, for there is no fear in God's love.
Together we are to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us as an example of true love. Yet, only in Christ is there true peace and joy. God is the true provider and our protection, He is our everything. I see now that Peter knew that and he never stopped loving me, he just loved God more. And there was nothing ever wrong with that, because Jesus Christ was with and in Peter. And now Christ lives in me and has filled me with His Holy Spirit so that I too can boldly declare the Truth.
In sharing my story with you, I hope you see God's heart. That God's agape love bears all things, its patient, kind, forgives everything and His love never fails. God has given us His authority, and I believe we can make this a better world by demonstrating His love, grace and mercy to others. God's love it truly the greatest power in the world.
Note: I hope you enjoyed my little fictional story or at least found it interesting. It was not intended to depict the way Peter's wife really was, because the scripture says that she traveled with Peter in their ministry. But, I believe it was still hard for her initially and for others to understand his leaving her, just as it would be for most people today. Customs and culture were different back then.
Yet, today we still must obey the voice of Jesus and be willing to forsake everything for the sake of Christ. In that regards nothing has changed. There is always a cost in following and serving the heavenly Father. There are so many dysfunctional marriages today, because of sin. But that will change as people's hearts are change by the power of God's love.
The reason I wrote this story was to reveal some of the main problems I see in many marriages. Problems concerning bitterness, unforgiveness and most of all a lack of honor for God and His Word. If we want to honor the Heavenly Father we will also honor and respect all His children as well, both male and female.
There are also many men who harbor wrong feelings and have left their wives and children for selfish reasons. Who in most cases were not man enough to bear the cross. Husband's to need to honor their wives in spite of the cost. It is also wrong in other countries where women are treated as third class citizens. We are all equal in God's eyes and loved the same. As a husband and a friend of God, I am praying and believing for the restoration of marriages—in God's time and way.
