Do you think the right thing for MJ to have done as far a shis marriage with Lisa Marie, was to hang in there with the marriage and never cease praying that she would come to the Lord?
That is a very difficult question to answer. It didn't seem that he was up to the task, but it would have been very noble of him. I dunno, I guess every situation is unique and that has to be taken into condideration. Then I think of the scripture, where Paul is dicussing some of this in 1 Corinthians 7, and says that if the unbelieving spouse wants to leave the marriage...the believer is not bound in such a situation for God has called us to peace. And the next part brings up the argument many have in regards not only to marriage, but the idea of "ministry dating" and that is:
(Corin. 7:16)
How do you know wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know husband, whether you will save your wife?
In other words, we have no guarentee that any of us can be successful in leading someone over to Christ or even into a deeper relationship with Jesus if they have put other things in more importance in their lives than Him. Prayer is powerful though, and there have been many marriage relationships restored through the spouse praying faithfully for their spouse...but it can take YEARS before their heart is changed. And again, some hearts are so hardened or so deceived they do not turn.
This is also the truth - the very sad and hard truth (one of the reasons we have to use wisdom when choosing our mates and make sure we are not unequally yoked, we could be setting ourselves up for years of nothin' but heartache).
Well. when I think of the saying "my heart belongs to them" what does that mean? I would think if someone's heart belongs to another, than that heart will not belong to anyone else. A person can love others, but still, their heart belongs to only one and nothing wold change that...right?
This brings back to my memory a time when I was only 19 and what someone said to me. I had been struggling with bulemia at a time when it was not discussed or read about in articles and so I felt I was the only horrible person in the world weak enough to be doing such a thing to my body. It brought a lot of shame and self-loathing. And my family could tell something was not right with me but I could not share the secret of what I was doing...too shaming. But I told them if they wanted I'd fo see a pyschologist and try to talk wiht them about whatever was amiss with me. I thought maybe it would be interesting.
So they found a counselor, and she was very nice, and as was my norm, I smoothly got the woman talking all about herself and telling me stories form her life. I may seem to share a lot of stories here for you all, but there was a time a didn't share any stories ab out myself with anyone. I have freedom in this area now. But, of course, I pick and choose my stories.
I just couldn't get it out of my mouth to her that I was making myself throw up on a regular basis. The only thing I told her that was maybe contributing to my unhappiness wiht life was that my high school boyfriend (after I broke up with him) wouldn't go back with me and instead wanted to play the field as a lifeguard at the beach and party. Which he ended up doing. And I told her I was having such a hard time understanding how someone could love me and then stop loving me and I didn't know what to do with that.
She then told me how she had been in love with a special young man, too, in her past, but they ended up breaking up and he moved across the country. She, pointing to the photo on her desk, said, "I married and you can see me here with him and our children. But, (and I'll never forget the look in her eyes when she said this) I will never stop loving that man who was in a love relationship with earlier on. I will always love him." I asked, "Even though you're married." And she nodded, with conviction. Wow! I was blown away by that. And I think her message was, let the guy go, release him, still love him if you must, but get on with life.
And then she told me I seemed like a very adjusted young lady and I probably didn't need to keep seeing her. Haha! I didn't. But...God used the bulemia in my life as one of the ways he brought me to Him. Becuase, I eventually, about a year later, after throwing up one night, and feeling that strange light-headed rush in my head while sitting on the cold bathroom floor by the toilet, with tears running down my face and such strong self-hate, I said in my mind, "God if you are real, please help me stop!" And He graciously healed me completely, overnight. The next day I did not make myself throw up, or the next day, or the next day... or any day up to today,..over thirty years later.
I knew by the way that counselor said it, that even though she loved her husband in some way, and made her life with him, her heart still belonged to that other man. Wow! This is deep.
I got over my high school boyfriend. lol. Too much a partier! haha. I wasn't that type.
The high school boyfriend sounds like a fun guy! lol!
I don't know why MJ would need to tell a lot of people about it. Maybe a few, like you say, trusted people he knows well...or better yet, those who he felt he got the "okay" from God to share it with. And therefore, I would think, very few.
And I would hope it would work the same way with the LITD girl...that she would share with only a couple people she was in close "real life" (not online) relationships with. I know when I had interests in uys in the past I would keep quiet about it or only my closest friend would know...but here we are talking about Michael Jackson, and what that brings about, unfortunately, too often is
EGO.
If some woman is shairng how she has had a relationship with Michalel Jackson to more that a couple close friends, or to people she only knows online...I can think of no other rason for this other than a character flaw, one that involves ego. her identity is somehow caught up in being known as having been connected with Michael Jackson.
True. One needs to use wisdom and know when to talk and when to keep mouth closed. Although, sometimes, you may really need to talk - that's where a trusted friend would come in.
And, now we have, if she has told fans, fans getting filled up by thier egos because they are the lucky ones who are privy and, my gosh, have talked to a woman who had a close relationship with MJ! So the fans weaken due to ego and let others know. What a mess!
It's hard to self-examine our motivations for things...and we don't want to think ego is behind it. But very often when someone is not strong enough to keep things quiet...it's because they are weak in this area. And it does take a lot of inner-strength that needs to be practiced again and again and to say "no" to oneself when they get the urge.
I'm convinced if Michael Jackson found someone who was as close to a mirror image to himself as possible, and this woman was brought into his life by God, she would be
like MJ... in that she would be good at keeping things quiet and not share with just anyone, especially those she only knows, as well as someone can know, a person
online. And if she is a woman of godly character, that would continue even after he died.
And she would have no need for her ego to be fed by making sure others know she had something to do with Michael Jackson.
I must have been living under a mushroom. Had no idea this was going on. I used to be sharp, but I have been losing it lately - unlike the eagle-eyed Ashmeister! Thanks for your bravery in sharing your battle with bulimia. I hope it has helped someone.