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An Answer For Adeline. A Free Short Story

 



An Answer For Adeline





All Adeline knew was that she was at her wits end, and ready to throw in the proverbial towel.

Having a husband, five children, several pets, and a part time job, meant that she was spinning several plates at once. And, two of those plates were teenagers.

Another plate was a challenging marriage. Then there were the careening plates of three busy younger boys, one of whom had recently been diagnosed with ADHD.

Her part time job as a receptionist was probably the least wobbly of her plates. That is, until she received a phone call from the school principal during work hours.

Often, she’d stay up far too late, whilst she searched for answers to her problems online. How to cope with ADHD in boys, Teenagers and social media, Communication in marriage, How to get your kids to help around the house…

Or, she’d watch an endless stream of YouTube videos. Each one dishing out advice about everything from the ideal routine to revolutionize your life, to decluttering strategies to solve all your problems. Along with a good dose of marriage and ADHD advice thrown in.

“The problem is that you have too much stuff.” One perky blonde informed her. She did, but that wasn’t the point. 
“All you have to do is follow my routine for instant peace.” Another well known influencer told her. Adeline tried the routine for a couple of weeks, but it made her more stressed and anxious than ever.

“Have you prayed?” An astute friend asked her. 
“Not really.” She was forced to admit. Would God really be interested in her mundane troubles? There were so many more serious things going on all around the world.
But her friend assured her that He really was. “And God has answers for all of your problems.”

So, with strength she never knew she had, Adeline set aside all the videos, routines, and articles. She had nothing to lose. She opened her Bible. And she prayed. Every day, before her family rose in the morning. She was like a drought stricken plant soaking in the rain.

One morning, she turned to the Book of Proverbs in her Bible. She read and re-read the verses before her, and it dawned on her that God had just given her an answer:

Proverbs 2:1-10 ESV
[1] My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, [2] making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; [3] yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, [4] if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, [5] then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. [6] For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; [7] he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, [8] guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. [9] Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; [10] for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.2.1-10.ESV

***

The End.

***

Story copyright: Alison Lawrence


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