Welcome to the Whyte House Family Spoken Novels podcast episode #338. Today we are reading chapter 29 of the novel “All the Bishop’s Children” by Daniel Whyte III with Meriqua Whyte.
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Four growing children, an aging mother with increasing health issues, and a wife constantly whining about not having this and that added to the financial burden and stress upon the family. Dwight, who was always frugal when it came to spending money, cheerfully did the best he could in making ends meet. Rosalind, on the other hand, got tired of living a hand-to-mouth life.
“Where’s Rosalind?” Dwight asked his mother after coming in one evening and not finding his wife at home.
“Out looking for a job. She must have gotten one because she’s been gone since before the lunch hour.”
“What? Who told her she could go get a job?” Dwight said. “I can’t believe she left you here with all four children. And you say she’s been gone since this morning?”
“No harm was done. They’re my grandchildren. I’ll do anything for them. Eva from next door stopped by to help me,” Mama Tess said.
“Mama Tess, that is not the issue. You’re up in age and dealing with your own health issues; you don’t need to be bothering yourself taking care of four little children—grand-children or not. Why didn’t you call me and let me know what she was up to? I probably could have come home early and put a stop to this.”
“You couldn’t do anything about it. You know once your wife sets her mind to something there is no stopping her. Anyway, she has good reason,” Mama Tess said matter-of-factly.
“And what reason is that? Cause she sure did not tell me anything.”
“I’m sure she’ll let you know as soon as she comes in,” his mother said. “You know, Dwight, times are changing. Women are no longer choosing to stay home with their children and neither do we have to resort to doing just laundry or other menial jobs. Those days are gone. We now have a voice in everything. Why keep yourself back when you can move forward?”
“What are you trying to tell me?” Dwight asked. “I thought you were all for her staying home with her children.”
“You and Rosalind will talk once she comes in. I promised her I would not discuss anything with you. She should be home soon. Eva and I fed the children, and Kennedy and Jessica are asleep, so they should be good until she comes home.”
Dwight sat before the television while DJ and Rachel, the two older children, played on the floor with their toys and read their picture books. I just can’t believe she left her children all day like this to go find a stinking job. And she waited until I left before she took off. Lord, help me not to blow my top when she gets in. You poor children, Dwight thought glancing down at them. DJ glanced up at his father a few times.
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An unwelcoming glare met Rosalind when she came through the front door a little after six.
“Why are you looking so crazy?” Rosalind said kicking her heels off as she reached down to hug her children. “How are you all doing?” she said giving each of them a hug. “Where’s Kennedy and baby Jessie?” she asked as the children resumed playing.
“They’re asleep in Grandma’s room.”
“Go knock on Grandma’s door and tell her I’ll be right there as soon as I get things going in the kitchen,” Rosalind told DJ. “You’re still looking crazy,” she said throwing a quick glance at her husband.
“You know why I’m still looking so crazy. When I left this morning you were home; I return eight hours later and you’re gone. I had to hear it from my own ailing mother that you were out hunting for a job,” Dwight said. “Where’s this job anyway?”
“At the pharmacy. Is anything wrong with me getting a job when we need the money?” Rosalind said.
“Need the money? We are managing quite well,” Dwight said. “We are not hurting for nothing.”
“Apparently you have not noticed, but I have. Things are getting tight and I don’t want us to be scraping pennies together
. By the way,” Rosalind said, “take a look outside before you blow your top.”
“Look! I am not in for any games,” Dwight said as he got up to look outside.
Rosalind opened the front door for him.
“Whoa! Whose car is that?”
“Mine.”
“Yours? You have got to be kidding me. Where in the world did you get the money to buy you a car? And what was wrong with the one Mama Tess gave you? Where is her car anyway?” Dwight walked off the porch and walked around the car peering through the windows. He opened the front door and looked inside sliding his hand over the front seat upholstery. He sat behind the steering wheel and tooted the horn.
Rosalind watched from the porch.
“Now we can ride around a little bit more comfortable,” she said with a smile as he stepped out of the car, “and in style.”
“What I want to know is where did you get the money from to buy a new car?”
“Close to new,” Rosalind said. “And can’t I for once do something without having to offer up an explanation?”
“Close to new. New. It’s all the same to me. First, you go off and get you a job without telling me anything, and when you come home you’re driving a new car and you just expect me to not say a word about it either? Woman, you must be crazy! So, I ask again, where did you get the money from?”
Rosalind tossed her head to the side, turned, and walked into the house.
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Thank you for joining us for this episode of Whyte House Family stories. You may purchase a copy of this novel and any other Christian fiction books read on this podcast from Amazon.com.
Now, dear listener, please know that God—the divine Author of all things—wants to write a great story with your life as well. But first you must give Him the pen by trusting Him with the life He gave you and surrendering your heart to Jesus Christ as Savior. Here is how:
- Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
- Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
- Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
- Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
- Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
May God bless you until next time.
BCNN1 WP 