A Strange Test

I began to notice that with each day of married life our friendship with my wife was becoming stronger, and our love—deeper and more interesting. Many good things became so habitual for us that we understood each other at half a word and very skillfully avoided contentious moments, which were becoming fewer and fewer.

Family councils brought special blessings to our family. Communicating with friendliness, we understood that about everything one can come to agreement and settle everything amicably. And this harmony of views greatly rejoiced my heart, and my home became for me the place in which the soul found comfort and peace, and where, as it seemed to me, it was pleasant to be also for our unseen angels who minister to us day and night.

One day my wife told me that her former classmates were delighted with our family. They often meet to share with one another the achievements they have in this world. And my beloved presented me and our family to them as the most wonderful blessing from the Lord. It was pleasant for me to hear such a high assessment, and in my soul there arose a special feeling of pride that we are not like this world and that we have something other people do not have. I always felt special joy when someone praised us for our purity. And if my wife went to meet with her friends, I anticipated the pleasure of her stories about how everyone admired us and envied us.

One day my other half informed me that she was going to another meeting with her classmates. I rejoiced at the new portion of praise and gave my wife my blessing.

But when she came into the room to say goodbye, I was shocked by her appearance. She had on something like a slip, which she called an evening dress. Bright makeup shone on her face, and her eyelids were painted an unnaturally gray color. Around her neck hung several large beads, and on her hands there were more than a dozen various bracelets and rings. I silently examined her, not knowing what to say. And she, as if nothing had happened, pecked me on the cheek and went to put on her shoes.

From the street came the car horn of her friends, inviting her out, and my wife ran out of the house to the joyful laughter of her classmates.

I set aside all my affairs and tried to understand what was happening. I had the feeling that the ground had gone out from under my feet and that something terrible was about to happen. For several minutes I sat in a stupor, not knowing what to do and trying to answer the question: “What is going on in our house?”

I wanted to call my wife and ask her to return home urgently to explain what was happening, but something restrained my feelings. I remembered that I must respect a person’s choice, and I had nothing left but to ask GOD’s help in this matter.

I decided to spend the rest of the day in prayer. At first I asked GOD why He had permitted this. Then I began to reproach myself for worldly pride. After that I asked for wisdom, trying to understand how to live further. Then I declared my decision to love my wife further and to fight in prayer for her salvation.

Speaking of everything with GOD, I realized how unclean I was and how saturated with selfishness, and how I now needed the Lord and His Grace. I began to ask forgiveness from GOD for myself and for my wife. In those moments I understood how dear this person was to me and how painful it would be to lose her. I could not imagine what awaited us further and how we would live under the new conditions, but I understood that something in my heart had broken. How painful it was to accept these changes, but I decided to love, no matter what.

During prayer, Bible verses about trials and apostasies came to my mind. I pondered the Will of GOD and so wanted to look into the future to get an answer for what was happening in the present.

Around 10 p.m. my wife called and, to loud music and the noise of merriment, reported that all her friends were drunk and would not be able to drive her, and that she herself was in a drunken state and incapable of getting home on her own. I had the feeling that the whole world had collapsed, but I gently told her that I would come and pick her up myself. She asked me to come in an hour so that they could have some more fun.

I now had time for special prayer. My head could not accommodate what was happening. I only kept asking GOD: “Why? For what? After all, everything with us was pure and right!” But the Lord was silent and gave me no answers. And in my head stood the question of what decisions I would make further. After a heavy inner struggle I declared to all Heaven that I choose love. I rose from prayer and went into the garden, cut flowers, set them on our dining table, brought two teacups, put our favorite cookies on a saucer, lit a candle, and went to the car.

With a heavy heart I drove up to the classmate’s house. To my surprise, my wife was already standing on the street, dressed in a decent dress, without adornments. Her whole face was smeared with mascara that had run down her cheeks together with her tears. She was weeping bitterly and, seeing me, covered her face with her hands.

I understood nothing at all. She was completely sober, but her sobs grew very loud when I got out of the car to open the door for her.

She sat down beside me and, laying her head on the dashboard, burst into full sobs. I drove slowly home.

On the way I remained silent and reflected on what had happened. I wanted to receive explanations. But I decided not to hurry events, and to wait until my wife calmed down and told everything herself. Entering the house and seeing the set table with the burning candle, she sat on the sofa and, pressing her head to her knees, began to cry even more.

I began to understand that not everything was so bad, and I decided to take upon myself the role of savior. I suggested we pray. She agreed. First, in addressing GOD, I asked forgiveness for what had happened and thanked Him for the Sacrifice that was made for our sins. Then she, with tears, asked forgiveness from GOD and from me for what had happened.

After prayer my wife calmed down and began to tell how, falling under the influence of her friends, she began to argue with them that I love her for who she is and will accept her in any way. And her friends convinced her that all men are the same and do not know how to love, and she decided to prove to them that I am genuine. They taught my wife how to dress, what to say, gave her adornments, and waited for their victory in this argument. And then they decided also to deceive me, to understand how I would react to a drunk wife, listening to our conversation on speakerphone. After I gently told her that I love her and would come to get her, they grew quiet, and their merriment turned into a general weeping where each of them began to pour out her soul and tell about all her earthly troubles. At the end of the meeting my wife could not endure the pangs of her conscience and, all in tears, went out onto the street to wait for me.

Our conversation continued until morning, and that night we learned something else very good about one another. We spoke peacefully, confessing our love to each other. Although my heart ached from what I had experienced, I was very glad that the Lord turned everything to good.

We agreed that we would never again tempt one another and the Lord in a similar way. And my heart thanked GOD for everything.

1. Please read Prov. 3:29; 26:18–19; 1 Cor. 15:33; Rom. 13:10, 13; 1 Pet. 3:7–12; Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7; Luke 18:10–14; 1 Tim. 6:6, 11–12; 1 Cor. 11:19; Col. 3:19; Eph. 5:25–28; Prov. 31:10–12 in light of this lesson.

2. What did you understand from this topic?

3. What other Bible verses came to your mind?

4. Is it worth testing your spouse’s love in such a manner?

5. Is there a risk in such tests that the relationship may be destroyed?

6. For what reason are we given the counsel not to tempt the Lord?

7. Does the verse in Matt. 4:7 also apply to relationships between people?

8. Does the Lord tempt us? James 1:13–14.

9. Can your friends bring discord into your family?

10. What should be done if such a test turned out to be real and not merely an attempt to check love?!

11. If I decide to love no matter what, will the Lord give strength for this?

12. Will tests of your love come from another source?

13. Does our love for one another call us to mutual trust?

14. Is it worth being proud of our wonderful relationship?

15. Should we guard our love for one another from such tests?