As Fran gets home this evening, she has no heart for anything. In fact, she barks at the kids a couple of times for no good reason, and finally Drew asks her what’s wrong. Defensively she says, “Nothing’s wrong with me except that I have two children who don’t do what they’re supposed to do.” 

 

She can see the hurt in their eyes caused by her caustic words, and immediately she is sorry. But instead of apologizing, she gets them to bed as quickly as she can, and then plops down to start her pity party.

 

“I’m telling you,” she says to herself, “my life is nothing but trouble. I marry this great guy, Jim, and what happens? He gets killed in an auto accident by a drunk driver. Did I deserve that? No. Then I have to go back to work and raise the kids by myself, and pinch pennies until they scream.

 

“Then Barry comes along and I think, well, maybe we’ll get married and I can get back to plan A, but no, he’s not ready to make a commitment. So, Louise encourages me to break off that dating relationship, which I do, and then she goes and tells me she’s got this hot thing going with David. Man, I’m telling you, what did I do to deserve to get this kind of treatment?”

 

Fran knows how full of self-pity her rantings are, but she’s not ready to give in yet, even though the Holy Spirit is convicting her. It’s one of those times she would rather not hear from the Lord, but he’s always there.

 

“It’s not a pity party. I’m just telling it like it is,” Fran says to herself, knowing all the time that it is self-pity and it is sinful. This is a lesson that is hard for her to learn.

 

Not wanting to admit she’s wrong, and not wanting to listen to Jesus at this point, Fran clicks on the television and stretches out on the sofa, trying to drown out his voice. 

 

Did you ever do that? Doesn’t work, does it?