OTHELA'S SONG

 IT WAS THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND 2015 IN AUSTIN TEXAS, IT WAS SLIGHTLY WARM THAT DAY. THE WEATHER WAS STILL AND BALMY WITH A FEW CLOUDS SCATTERED ACROSS THE SUNLIT BIG SKIES OF TEXAS.

OTHELA WAS GETTING DRESSED TO MEET SOME FRIENDS FOR THE EVENING FESTIVITIES AND FIREWORK'S IN THE TOWN SQUARE WHEN SHE HEARD LOUD VOICES RISING AND WAFTING ACROSS THEIR BEAUTIFUL GREEN LAWN IN THE BACK OF HER FAMILY HOME. AS SHE RAN DOWNSTAIRS TO LOOK OUT OF THE BACK WINDOW OF THE BRIGHTLY COLORED KITCHEN SHE HEARD A VOICE CRYING UNCONTROLLABLY, ALMOST IN A PLEADING HIGH PITCHED CRESCENDO LIKE THAT OF A SPARROW IN DISMAY.

SHE NOTICED HER SISTER SITTING IN THE HAMMOCK UNDER THE MAGNOLIA TREES' ALONE AND WEEPING. OTHELA RAN OUT OF THE KITCHEN DOOR INTO THE BACK YARD AND SAT BESIDE HER ON THE BIG HAMMOCK AND HUGGED HER SISTER CLOSE AND ASKED HER WHY SHE WAS CRYING AS OTHELA WIPED THE TEARS FROM HER EYES'.

HER SISTER SHELLIE LOOKED SO HEART BROKEN AND ALONE AS SHE BEGAN TO EXPLAIN THAT SHE HAD JUST BROKEN OFF HER ENGAGEMENT TO HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE GETTING MARRIED IN THE FALL AS THEY PLANNED.

OTHELA WAS IN SHOCK AS SHE HEARD HER SISTER RELAYING THE DETAILS EVER SO DISCREETLY TO HER ABOUT THE REASON SHE MADE THE HARDEST CHOICE OF HER LIFE TO ABANDON HER DREAMS OF LOVE AND FAMILY WITH THE ONLY MAN SHE HAD EVER KISSED AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS HARD SHE HAD REMAINED A VIRGIN BECAUSE OF HER PURITY COMMITTMENT SHE MADE DURING ONE SUMMER VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL CAMP SHE ATTENDED.

IT WAS SHELLIES' WEDDING NIGHT DREAM TO PRESENT HER BODY TO HER HUSBAND AS A CHASTE VIRGIN JUST AS SHE DID WHEN SHE RECEIVED THE LORD JESUS AS HER SAVIOR. SHELLIE WAS DILIGENT IN HER WALK WITH THE LORD AND HAD VOWED TO KEEP GOD FIRST IN HER LIFE AS TO HER FIANCE HAD VOWED TO DO AS WELL.

BOTH OF THEM HAD JUST GRADUATED FROM THEIR SOPHOMORE YEAR IN COLLEGE AND PLANNED TO MARRY BEFORE THEY CONTINUED ON TO RECEIVE THEIR BACHELORS DEGREE AND MASTERS' DEGREES. THEY BOTH WERE ATTENDING COLLEGE TO BECOME PEDIATRIC DOCTOR'S, THEY BOTH LOVED CHILDREN AND WANTED A LARGE FAMILY OF THEIR OWN SOME DAY.

AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER SHELLIES FIANCE' LEFT TO VISIT AN UNCLE IN THE MIDWEST. HE AND SHELLIE TALKED EVERYDAY AND SOMETIMES THREE TIMES A DAY WHILE HE WAS AWAY AND SHE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THOUGH SHE HAD REPLAYED OVER AND OVER IN HER MIND HOW AND WHEN HE COULD POSSIBLY FIND THE TIME TO BETRAY HER WITH ANOTHER WOMAN. BUT IT WAS EVIDENCED AS HE REVEALED THE HORRIBLE DETAILS TO HER AND INFORMED HER HE WAS EXPECTING A CHILD FROM THIS SHORT LIVED AFFAIR.

ALTHOUGH OTHELA WAS NOT INVOLVED SHE WAS INDEED ANGRY AND HURTING ALONG WITH HER SISTER AS HER WORLD FELL APART IN ONE SHORT SUMMER. OTHELA FELT SO VERY DEEPLY FOR HER SISTER BECAUSE SHE KNEW FIRST HAND HOW CAREFUL SHE WAS TO KEEP HERSELF PURE FOR HER SOON TO BE HUSBAND.

OTHELA KNEW THE MANY SUITORS THAT CAME SEEKING SHELLIES' ATTENTION AND SHE HAD TURNED THEM DOWN AND AWAY BECAUSE SHE ONLY HAD EYE'S FOR HER BETROTHED. HER FIANCE ALSO KNEW THERE WAS OTHER COMPETITION FOR HER ATTENTION AND MORE, SO HE BOUGHT HER THE BIGGEST ENGAGEMENT RING HE COULD AFFORD WHILE THEY WERE IN COLLEGE.

HE COULD NOT EXPLAIN HOW OR WHY HE DID WHAT HE DID AND HE TO SOBBED UNCONTROLLABLY AS HE WALKED THE LONG DRIVEWAY TO HIS CAR HOLDING THE ENGAGEMENT RING IN HIS HAND SHELLIE HAD THROWN IN THE GRASS AS SHE SOBBED AND SAID IT WAS OVER.

LIFE CAN THROW US CURVES EVEN WHEN WE MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE PLANS AND TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS AVAILABLE TO US WHEN MAKING DECISIONS AND PLANNING FOR OUR DREAMS AND VISIONS TO COME TRUE.

THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US "MAN MAKES HIS PLANS, BUT GOD DIRECTS HIS STEPS". ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS IS TO CHANGE OUR COURSE WHEN WE HAVE PUT EVERYTHING, OUR TIME, OUR ENERGY, OUR HEART AND SOUL INTO PLANNING FOR THE SPECIAL SOMETHING, THAT SPECIAL PLACE  THAT SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP ONLY TO FIND THE OTHER PERSON WAS NOT AS COMMITTED TO MAKING THE DREAMS AND PLANS COME TRUE.

WHERE DO YOU GO, WHO DO YOU TURN TO, HOW WILL YOU MAKE IT AND HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITHOUT THE ONE YOU LOVE AND HAVE GIVEN YOUR LIFE IN PLANNING.

DO YOU CAST ALL HOPE AWAY AND BEGIN TO LIVE A RECKLESS LIFESTYLE TO GET EVEN WITH THE SOMEONE WHO HAS ALLOWED THEMSELVES TO BE USED LIKE A DEMOLITION BALL TO WRECK YOUR LIFE?

DO YOU TURN TO THOSE WHO LOVE YOU AND WILL NURTURE YOU AND KEEP MINISTERING TO YOU ENCOURAGING YOU TO KEEP HOPING FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW? OR DO YOU JUST GIVE UP IN DEPRESSION AND DESPAIR AND BECOME A BITTER REJECTED SOUL.

CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES, WHAT WILL YOU DO AND WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE WHEN THERE WAS NO PLAN B FOR YOU?

THE ANSWER IS YOU TURN TO JESUS CHRIST THE ONE WHO PAYED THE PRICE FOR YOU TO BE ALIVE AND WELL, THE ONE WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU, THE ONE WHO ALWAYS' HAS A PLAN B, PLAN C, PLAN D AND ANY OTHER BACK PLAN THAT IS NEEDED TO RESTORE YOU AND KEEP YOU HOPING AND MOVING FORWARD IN LIFE.

EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE DETOUR HE HAS A PLAN TO GET YOU BACK ON THE ROAD TO THE ABUNDANT LIFE HE HAS PLANNED FOR YOU BEYOND DISAPPOINTMENTS AND DESPAIR.

JESUS OUR VERY PRESENT HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, THE ONE WHO WHEN EVEN MY MOTHER AND FATHER FORSAKE ME PROMISED TO BEAR ME UP. THAT'S WHY HE IS OUR "SAVIOR", NOT ONLY TO SAVE OUR SOULS FROM BEING LOST FOR ETERNITY BUT SAVE US FROM THE HEARTBREAKING RAVAGES OF LIFE THAT COME TO STEAL YOUR FAITH IN GOD AND DO AS JOBS WIFE TEMPTED HIM TO DO AS SHE SAID TO JOB "WHY DON'T YOU CURSE GOD AND DIE".

BUT JOB A WISE AND DEVOUT MAN SAID "YOU TALK LIKE A FOOLISH WOMAN" SHALL I RECEIVE GOOD AT THE HAND OF GOD ONLY? THE LORD GIVES AND THE LORD TAKES AWAY, BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD"

WHEN YOU LOOK AHEAD AND SEE ONLY FOG AND DREAD LOOK AGAIN AND YOU WILL SEE JESUS WALKING ON THE STORMY WATERS OF YOUR LIFE COMING TO RESCUE YOU AND RAISE YOU UP AGAIN.

OTHELA AND HER SISTER SHELLIE DID SING AGAIN LIKE THEY ALWAY'S DID IN THE CHURCH CHOIR AND PRAISE TEAMS. SHELLIE DID HEAL BUT IN THE VERY MIDST OF HER STORM SHE GAVE GOD THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE AS SHE CONTINUED TO SING WITH OTHELA DAY BY DAY AND GIVE GOD PRAISE AND GLORY.

OH AND SHELLIE DID MEET AND MARRY A WONDERFUL YOUNG MAN WHO ALSO KNEW HER THROUGH HER GROWING UP YEARS, SHE FINISHED MEDICAL SCHOOL AND SO DID HE AND SHE AND OTHELA HAD A DOUBLE WEDDING AND SHELLIE BEAMED AS SHE WAS ABLE TO PRESENT HER BODY IN PURITY TO HER HUSBAND AND HE TO HAD TAKEN THE SAME VOW OF PURITY AND KEPT IT UNTIL THER WEDDING NIGHT AS THEY BOTH HAD VOWED TO GOD THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR.

OTHELA WAS ALSO PURE ON HER WEDDING NIGHT AS WAS HER HUSBAND BECAUSE THEY TO HAD VOWED TO BE ONLY FOR ONE ANOTHER AFTER THEIR WEDDING AND THEY TO KEPT THEIR VOWS TO GOD AND WERE BLESSED ON THAT VERY NIGHT WITH THEIR FIRST CHILD AND THIS GAVE OTHELA HER BLESSED SONG OF PRAISE.

SO YOU SEE ALL THINGS DO WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE...SELAH!