Forgiving the Murderous Husband

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Some of you might have read of Nancy Howard’s (neé Shore) deep forgiveness of her husband. Mrs Howard drove home from church one day in August 2012 but a hitman was waiting for her with a gun. She survived, but was stunned to learn, from her hospital bed, who police accused of paying to have her killed.

Now I don’t want to dwell upon a wife’s duty to obey her husband and forgive him for everything, because that is unremarkable – wives have a duty to do that and we all should forgive those who persecute us. Rather, I want to address this part of Mrs Howard’s story. She has just been to church, a Baptist Church, and so we know that she has “sinned no more.” She has driven into her garage. She gets out of the car.

At the point at which she made the interesting statement, the hitman is in the garage and is holding her by the neck:

"He demanded my purse a third time with expletives," says Nancy. "I was close enough to him to shove my purse into his chest and when I did I cried out, 'Jesus save me!' and he immediately shot me in the head and I went down."

(I wish to make it absolutely clear that when she said “'Jesus save me!' and he immediately shot me in the head.” She did not mean that Jesus shot her in the head… I know it can be read like that, but she means “the hitman.”)

Now the fact that Mrs Howard called upon Jesus and was immediately shot tells us more about Jesus.

As I am sure I have said before, God has three responses to prayer: “Yes”, “No” and “Wait”. We know which one it was. I suggest to you that you have already worked out which one of those three it was. Jesus was right there beside her – He was in her soul – and his perfect answer… “Wait”.

But why is it such a brilliant answer? Well, that is because it was the Just and Holy thing to do…

Why? Jesus was showing Nancy Howard, IN ADVANCE, that because her immediate forgiveness of her husband simply would not be there – it took her years to do what is a Christian duty, - that His Perfect delay in saving her was a message to her to “be a little quicker next time" – and if she is, then perhaps Jesus will be a little quicker (or perhaps not depending upon what He knows.)

Sources:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-44521209

https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-man-charged-botched-murder-hire-plot-kill/story?id=17215629

[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Re: Forgiving the Murderous Husband

There is quite an interesting side aspect to that story, Brother Bathfire, which is this:

For several years, Frank had been paying a gang of criminals to murder his wife...The criminals had been exploiting Frank, continually demanding more and more money.

It subsequently turned out that (1) the criminals he had hired were incompetent and (2) Frank got caught. I fear I would find that level of sheer ineptitude and profligate spending very much more difficult to forgive than the attempted murder, so well done Mrs Shore!

[James Hutchins]

Re: Forgiving the Murderous Husband

I simply cannot fathom paying some stranger to murder a wife. It seems so unChristian. I have always believed a husband can resolve marital problems on his own. A husband and wife are one once married and any miscommunication the wife thinks exists should be dealt with privately. For example, I had corns between my toes. Did I hire some stranger to touch my feet or did I eliminate them on my own in the privacy of my residence?

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

[Johny Joe Hold]

Re: Forgiving the Murderous Husband

I read the news account. One has always to remember there are two sides to every story. She did not reveal completely why she has forgiven him but she may well know the reason he attempted to murder her. She, herself, may carry some guilt about his long prison sentence.

[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Re: Forgiving the Murderous Husband

I read the news account. One has always to remember there are two sides to every story. She did not reveal completely why she has forgiven him but she may well know the reason he attempted to murder her. She, herself, may carry some guilt about his long prison sentence.

You may very well be right, Mr Mayor, Sir, but the news reports make it clear that this lady is a church-going Baptist, whereas they say nothing about her husband's status. On that basis alone, it pains me to admit that I am inclined to give the wife the benefit of the doubt on this occasion.

[James Hutchins]

Re: Forgiving the Murderous Husband

You may very well be right, Mr Mayor, Sir, but the news reports make it clear that this lady is a church-going Baptist, whereas they say nothing about her husband's status. On that basis alone, it pains me to admit that I am inclined to give the wife the benefit of the doubt on this occasion.

I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt too. Women are such simple creatures, lying is near impossible for them. However, she was probably a harlot and being married already, was leading men into thinking she was single. Perhaps her husband was trying to save her from herself. As True Christians(tm) we are taught to never rush to Judgement.


We all know about that tin Tither Lumpkin woman. She used to sit on her porch during the hot summer day airing her lady bits. Do not get me started on what those mormon cult people do!