Today's Christian singles are as complex and multi-faceted as the numerous challenges they consistently encounter. In Scenarios for Singles, Ms. Richardson presents a collection of scenarios and sketches that portray Christian singles confrontin
Scenarios for Singles
Sketches and Scriptures Signifying a Master PlanBy Annette RichardsoniUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2012 Annette Richardson
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4759-1720-8Contents
Preface.........................................................................xvAcknowledgements................................................................xviiWays to Use This Book...........................................................xixSession 1 Doug and Danielle—Coming Clean.................................1Session 2 When Rebels Engage...................................................5Session 3 Terri and Kenneth—the Pursuit of Happiness.....................9Session 4 Derrick and Tiffany—Made for Each Other........................13Session 5 Marvin and Maria—the Complexion of Love........................17Session 6 Estelle and Stan—Hooking Up over Sixty.........................21Session 7 Angela's In-Crowd In-Laws............................................25Session 8 David and the Giant Irony............................................29Session 9 Evelyn Reaps a Bitter Harvest........................................33Session 10 Sam and Libby—That Was Then...................................37Session 11 Tammy Wants a Husband...............................................41Session 12 Felix—Honoring the Onerous....................................45Session 13 Jennifer—Deflecting the Darts of a Devil......................49Session 14 Connie's Money's Funny..............................................53Session 15 John—Love Me, Love My Son.....................................57Session 16 Jessica—Diffusing a Bombshell.................................61Session 17 The Preacher's Pride................................................65Session 18 Distinguishing and Extinguishing God's Gifts........................69Session 19 Joanne's Vicious Cycle..............................................73Session 20 Tony and a Taste of Vinegar.........................................77Session 21 Abortion—the Deliberate Death.................................81Session 22 Charlie, the Self-Appointed Magistrate..............................85Session 23 Paula and Great Expectations........................................89Session 24 Harold, Bianca, and the Bite of the Dragon..........................93Session 25 Rachel's Gift.......................................................97Session 26 Fred, the Carnal Christian..........................................101Bonus Case Eddie and Keisha—Promises and Pity............................107
Chapter One
Session 1 Doug and Danielle—Coming Clean
Doug and Danielle were Christians who had been engaged for nearly two years. They attended the same Christian university and happened to meet during a Christmas party at a mutual friend's house. When they met, they hit it off immediately and were engaged within six months.
As a couple, their relationship had a solid foundation. They both shared similar outlooks on life and had good family backgrounds. They also had sound work ethics and strong ties to the church. Together they had worked hard to save money toward their projected wedding expenses and a good down payment on their dream house.
Initially, Doug was very sure of his feelings toward Danielle. She was smart, kindhearted, warm, and very loving. She was the woman he wanted as his wife and the mother of his children. He had never doubted his love for Danielle until he met her younger sister, Dana.
Doug and Dana met during Thanksgiving dinner at his future in-laws' house. When his eyes met hers, the force of his attraction literally took his breath away. Dana was stunningly beautiful. For nearly eight months afterward, he prayed and struggled with his feelings toward Dana, but they had not gone away. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He had only seen Dana four times in his life! He knew he genuinely loved Danielle, but he could not ignore his attraction for Dana any longer.
FACILITATOR: Role it and action!
DOUG: Danielle, there is something I've wanted to say to you for quite some time, but I haven't known where to start.
DANIELLE: Oh, Doug, I hope it's not bad news. The only thing that kept me going today was the thought of us having a nice, quiet dinner together.
DOUG: Really?
DANIELLE: Sweetheart, I love you so much! The idea of us being married and having our own place together is the light at the end of the tunnel for me. I love the fact that we're working together to build our future and that you're always there for me.
DOUG: Danielle, I wish I could always be here for you, but what I have to tell you isn't going to be good news. In fact, it's going to be painful.
DANIELLE: Painful? Doug, what's wrong? You're not sick, are you?
DOUG: Physically, I feel fine, Danielle, but I guess there's no other way to tell you this except for me to get right to the point. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but I've had feelings for your sister Dana since I met her at your parents' house last Thanksgiving. The truth is that I think I'm in love with her, and I can't marry you while I have such strong feelings for her.
What do we say? How might Danielle respond? (Allow Danielle's character to ad lib.) Was Doug right to go first to Danielle with his feelings, or should he have told Dana first? Was he right to share his feelings, or should he have kept quiet and waited for them to eventually go away? What's this couple's next step? Discuss.
What does the Word say? Read scriptures from: Deuteronomy 23:21–23; Numbers 30:2; Matthew 5:33–37; Proverbs 3:3–8, 12:22, 13:5, 20:6; Ecclesiastes 5:1–2, 4–6; Romans 12:9–10, 12:17–18; 1 Corinthians 10:12–13, 23–24; James 5:16; Colossians 4:6; Philippians 4:13; and 1 Peter 3:10–11.
Determine which scriptures apply to each person involved in this case. Can you think of any scriptures to add? In the notes section below, write down your preferred scripture regarding this situation. Memorize it.
Notes ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
Chapter Two
Session 2 When Rebels Engage
Cheryl divorced her ex-husband Larry, exactly eight months, four days and thirteen hours ago. Her parents were right about him, but at the time she didn't care. She was in love. So she ignored their warnings and married him. He was not a Christian but he was a good man; so she thought. Once he put the wedding band on her finger, she was quickly introduced to the real Larry. Like the devil parading himself as an angel of light, he had concealed his true nature before they were married.
She tried to be a good wife, but he never appreciated her. He beat her, demeaned her, and scorned her belief in Christ. He taunted and humiliated her mercilessly in front of their children and his wisecracking friends. She came to the point where she hated her life. If it were not for her daughters, she couldn't have found the strength to keep going. She finally left him. She could not tolerate his cruel and oppressive behavior any longer.
Then she met Garrett, a kind, well-educated man who returned to his hometown after being away for twenty years. He was the district manager of a chain of upscale men's clothing stores and had recently joined the church where Cheryl held her membership. She liked what she saw and quickly insinuated herself into his life. She loved his flair. From his expensively cut suits to his luxury car, everything about him exuded success.
They could talk for hours on any subject. His ideas were innovative and unconventional. She found his live-and-let-live attitude very liberating. Compared to the extensive arguments she engaged in with Larry, Garrett's words were like splashes of cool, refreshing water in the heat of a mid- summer's day.
Six months later, when Garrett asked Cheryl to marry him and then presented her with an eye-popping, to-die-for, princess-cut diamond ring, she eagerly accepted his proposal. As Garrett's fiancée, she felt whole again. It moved her to tears. She was able to hold her head up high among her family and friends once more. She constantly dismissed the minor things she noticed about Garrett's demeanor that made her uneasy at times and refused to dwell on anything that didn't enhance her overall happiness.
She continued to suppress her niggling doubts until she ran into Tara, her old high school rival. During their conversation, Tara gave her some very disturbing information. Initially Cheryl disregarded it, putting it down as petty gossip and jealousy. However, as she looked back, she remembered being surprised to learn that Garrett had never married. At the time, he told her that he'd always wanted a family of his own. He simply hadn't met the right person until he met her. After that, she hadn't mentioned it again. She also noticed that there was only a slight difference in the way he treated her and the way he treated her daughters. Since he was twelve years her senior, she assumed that was the sole reason for his avuncular affection toward her.
She had to talk to Garrett about it. Cheryl prayed for the first time since her divorce. She told God that if He gave her another chance, she would no longer remain angry with Him about Larry and she would make her second marriage work by any means necessary.
FACILITATOR: Role it and action!
GARRETT: That was an excellent dinner, Cheryl. You certainly outdid yourself. Why don't you let me do the dishes before we sit down to watch the movie you rented?
CHERYL: That's sweet of you, thanks.
GARRETT: What's the matter, honey? You seem a little preoccupied tonight. Did you have a bad day?
CHERYL: Garrett, could you hold off for a minute with the dishes? I heard something rather disturbing the other day when I was at the mall, and I wanted to talk to you about it.
GARRETT: Disturbing? What did you hear, and why did you find it disturbing?
CHERYL: Before I get into all of that, do you know a woman named Tara Hodges? She went to Roosevelt High. She's an old classmate of mine.
GARRETT: Hmm ... Hodges. No, I don't think so. Did she say she knew me?
CHERYL: No, not exactly.
GARRETT: Well, dear, what exactly did she say?
CHERYL: She said that when her older brother Tim went away to college, he came out of the closet and had a sexual affair with a guy they called Gee. She said that the two were quite an item on campus. They rebelled against the campus regulations and openly lived as a gay couple. I know that you went to the same college Tim did, so I started to wonder.
GARRETT: You started to wonder what? If I knew this guy named Gee?
CHERYL: Yes ... well, I mean no. I mean—oh, I don't know what I mean! I'm sorry, it's just the things she said upset me so badly. They were confusing to me, and I don't know what to think. Oh, Garrett!
GARRETT: Go ahead, Cheryl, and say what's on your mind.
CHERYL: All right, Garrett, when she described this Gee person, she gave an exact description of you—I mean right down to the tattoo on your right arm. Are you and Gee the same guy?
GARRETT: Cheryl dear, the truth is that none of us are who we were twenty years ago. We need to let bygones be bygones. You know, live and let live? The only thing that's important now is that you trust me. I love you and the girls, and you love me. That's all that matters, isn't it?
What do we say? How should Cheryl respond? Did Garrett answer her question in a satisfying way? Should engaged couples thoroughly discuss their past relationships? Is it better not to know? Was Cheryl's prayer more of a monologue than a dialogue? How are Cheryl and Garrett rebels? Discuss.
What does the Word say? Read scriptures from: Proverbs 19:3, 28:13, 17:11, 8:13; Leviticus 18:22; Matthew 7:1–2; Ephesians 4:26–27, 5:11–14; 1 Corinthians 7:13, 6:9–11, 18–20; 2 Corinthians 5:17–18; Romans 1:24–28, 3:23, 14:12–13; and James 1:19–21.
Determine which scriptures apply to each person involved in this case. Can you think of any scriptures to add? In the notes section below, write down your preferred scripture regarding this situation. Memorize it.
Notes ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
Chapter Three
Session 3 Terri and Kenneth—the Pursuit of Happiness
Terri was single, an active Sunday school teacher and seeing a married man. The relationship started out strictly as a friendship. It began mostly because she felt sorry for Kenneth and his son, Alex. There were times when Kenneth and his son would stay at the church long after everyone else had gone home. Kenneth would often stay and help Terri clean up after children's church activities while Alex huddled in a corner doing homework or sleeping. She knew in her heart that something was wrong, but she didn't want to pry.
One Friday evening after a large cleanup from Vacation Bible School activities, Kenneth came up to Terri. He offered to buy her dinner to celebrate the end of VBS. Alex had gone to spend the weekend at a friend's house, and Kenneth said he would appreciate her company. She accepted. Terri's heart was touched by his obvious need for companionship.
During the course of the meal, Kenneth told Terri many things that had gone wrong in his marriage. He told her that he had been with his wife, Andrea, for ten agonizing years. He begged Terri to understand how he desperately wanted out of his hell of a marriage. He admitted that Alex was the only good thing that had come from the marriage. He then broke down and cried when he disclosed the pain of a miscarriage Andrea had experienced after Alex was born. Terri's heart broke for him, and she cried too.
After the miscarriage, the marriage and Andrea's mental health rapidly deteriorated. Doctors had strongly advised counseling and treatment for her postpartum depression. Andrea had refused counseling, and their house became a war zone. Each one blamed the other for all the things that had gone wrong in the marriage. Andrea believed Kenneth was trying to turn Alex away from her. She said Kenneth had abandoned her emotionally and spiritually, and she suspected he was having an affair. Physical intimacy was the last thing on earth she wanted from him. When Kenneth said those words, Terri's heart ached for him.
Kenneth confessed that he too thought counseling was a waste of time. Their marriage was over. He wondered how any doctor though he could cure the rantings of a madwoman such as Andrea. He had witnessed that when Andrea couldn't get her way, she screamed and howled like a banshee. He thought she should be locked up. The police had been called to their house several times, but they never arrested her. He believed she only behaved that way to get attention. It was her way of trying to control him. Terri's heart went out to him.
He also knew that control was the real reason she abstained from having sex with him. She did it to punish him because he had been away on business when she lost their baby. It was all a control game that selfish women had played for centuries to torment their husbands. Therefore, he had come up with a plan of his own. To avoid all of the crying and emotional drama at home, he had rented a hotel room for him and Alex. Kenneth went to work, dropped his son off at school, and picked him up. From there they grabbed some food and then headed for church. That was his life. Terri's heart longed for him.
Then Kenneth shared how truly grateful he and Alex were for Terri's kindness. He wanted her to know how much he enjoyed working with her in the church's youth ministry. He believed it brought them closer together and also closer to the Lord. He was sure that God had sent His comfort through her. She made Kenneth happy and had been a much- needed bright spot in his otherwise dreary life. Terri's heart filled with love for him.
FACILITATOR: Role it and action!
KENNETH: Terri, I am so in love with you. I really believe that the Lord has put you in my life as a special gift to me because He knew my marriage was suffering. We have so much in common. You love the church as much as I do, and you are devoted to the youth ministry, which is precious in God's sight. I just know you and I are meant to be together. You're everything I've ever wanted.
TERRI: I love you too, Kenny, but I don't know where to go from here.
KENNETH: I know that's troubling you. You don't want to continue seeing me because I'm still married. Well, the truth is, I plan to ask Andrea for a divorce this weekend. I can't go on this way. She and I have been so miserable, and it's time to cut our losses. I know the Lord does not want me to stay trapped in a hopeless, unhappy marriage. He doesn't want me to be with a woman who will no longer have sex and who doesn't know how to make a man feel like a man. He doesn't want me with a woman who doesn't love me.
TERRI: Oh, Kenny, I know she's mistreated you terribly, but what about Alex? Would he want to live with us? Once the divorce is final, would he stay with us or with his mother?
KENNETH: You would be his mother. I think the courts will grant me custody if they knew the kind of psycho she's been. When this is all over, we can truly be a real family—a happy family.
TERRI: Kenny, I don't believe that all of your suffering has been in vain. This must be God's will for each of us and for our lives together. He wants us to be happy. We can't lose our chance at true happiness.
What do we say? As a Christian, unmarried woman, how should Terri conduct herself around Kenneth? Should an unmarried person go out to dinner with a married person; one of the opposite sex who is not a relative? Why? If she loves Kenneth, shouldn't she be there for him? Is Kenneth right? Does God want him to be free from an unhappy marriage? What kind of example is Kenneth setting for Alex? Discuss.
What does the Word say? Read scriptures from: Malachi 2:13–16; James 1:13–15; Ephesians 5:3, 5:25; Phillipians 2:21; James 4:7; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 13:4–7, 6:9–11, 15:33–34; Matthew 19:9, 5:28, 18:6; Isaiah 5:20; and Colossians 3:5.
Determine which scriptures apply to each person involved in this case. Can you think of any scriptures to add? In the notes section below, write down your preferred scripture regarding this situation. Memorize it.
Notes ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
Chapter Four
Session 4 Derrick and Tiffany—Made for Each Other
Derrick and Tiffany are the new it couple within their circle of friends and associates. They first met at the city's civic center during the Professional Women's charity luncheon. The event was held annually for top businesswomen and their families. Derrick had come dutifully to the luncheon at his mother Gertrude's command, and so had his father, Edward. According to Gertrude, it was high time Derrick was married. She informed her husband that she would take matters into her own hands and find their son the right kind of wife. The Professional Women's luncheon would be an ideal place to find prospective brides. The young women who attended were from affluent families, with good breeding and bright futures. Edward said nothing.
Under his mother's watchful eye, Derrick sat next to Tiffany. Gertrude's approval became more apparent as the couple's conversation and attraction grew. Derrick and Tiffany were total opposites of each other but quite smitten.
From their first encounter, Derrick was immediately aware that he and Tiffany were like day and night. She was a fast talker. He was not. She had tons of friends. He had a few. She was pretty and fun-loving. He often felt old and stuffy. Her greatest attribute was her extreme wealth whereas he was only middle class. She was also spontaneous, and when she asked him on a date, he couldn't say no. He usually liked to make the first move toward the opposite sex, but he found Tiffany's boldness and self-assurance exciting. Gertrude was delighted with Derrick's decision to go out with Tiffany, but his father was not.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Scenarios for Singlesby Annette Richardson Copyright © 2012 by Annette Richardson. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
