Read Online The List by Sherri L. Lewis - Free Book Online

“We’re going to start by having each guest speaker tell who she is and why she’s here sharing with us tonight. Listen to their stories carefully.”
    Stacia Bennett took the microphone first. “As she mentioned, I’m a pastor, married to Pastor Tyrone Bennett for eighteen wonderful years now.”
    We applauded.
    â€œI say eighteen wonderful years, but they definitely weren’t all wonderful. I left my husband four times within the first three years of our marriage.”
    A few gasps arose from the audience.
    â€œYeah, chile, I was convinced that my husband was the worst husband in the world and didn’t know how to love me. Funny thing was, every time I prayed about it, God only told me about me. Looking back, I realize that most of the problem was me, not him. He’s just as sweet and wonderful now as he was then. I was the one who was selfish, stubborn, and completely un-submitted. God had to change me, or our marriage never would have lasted.”
    She paused for a second and leaned forward in her chair. “My message to you single women tonight is make sure you’re prepared for marriage.” She paused again, I guess, to make sure it sank in. “The most important thing you can do while you’re waiting for God to bring your husband is to get ready. The perfect example is Esther in the Bible. She was cleansed and purified for a whole year to be sure she was fit to be a queen prepared for her king. Should we do any less? Stop looking for the perfect man, and make sure you’re the most perfect woman you can be for him. If I was my husband, I would have killed me about fifteen years ago.” She looked out over the audience. “Right now, I want each of you to take a good, hard look at yourselves. Think about your character, flaws, and faults. What things do you do that would drive a man crazy? Are you selfish and self-absorbed? Are you a strong, independent woman who has no intention of submitting to a man?”
    Everyone was silent.
    She continued, “What is your attitude like? Are you depressed? Irritable? Demanding? Some of y’all are looking for a man with money. Where are you financially? What does your credit look like? Do you keep your house clean? Do you cook?
    â€œHow often do you lay yourself on the altar and ask God to purge you of everything that’s not like Him? When was the last time you climbed up on God’s surgical table and asked for a divine character operation? Begged Him to cut everything out of you that’s not like Him?”
    I could hear the pastor in her coming out. She acted like she was ready to get a good preach on.
    â€œI drove my husband crazy because it was always I, I, I. One day my husband got frustrated and told me over and over that he wished I would die. ‘I wish you would die. Just die.’”
    Murmurs arose from the audience.
    â€œYeah, y’all. That’s what I said too. Is this man gon’ try to kill me in my sleep? Of course, that wasn’t what he meant. He just wanted the selfish, self-centered woman in me to die, so Christ could live. Took me a while, but when I started to die, my marriage started to live.”
    Her voice softened. “What areas do you need to die in? Are you completely submitted to the Lordship of Christ? Because if you’re not completely submitted to Christ, you can’t fully submit to a man.”
    She nodded that she was finished, and First Lady motioned for her to pass the microphone to Cassandra Peyton.
    â€œGood evening, ladies. I’m Cassandra Peyton and I just celebrated two years of divorce after five years of a horrible marriage. I hope that, from what I have to share, you can avoid the same pain in your life.”
    Shoot, I could teach this segment myself. But then again, could I? Did I really understand what went wrong? More importantly, did I know enough not to make the same mistake again?
    I perked up to listen closely to