Predator In The Pews

For most Christian women, church is the only safe place on earth, so we think. Church is where we go to praise, to worship, to fellowship, to get filled with the Word, to receive hope, to get healed, to get saved, and the place where we go to release the pressures that the world has dumped on us during the week. All are welcome. In fact, I have yet to see anyone turned away who tried to enter in at the door. But who else resides in these places of worship? Everybody who calls himself or herself a Christian may not be one. In these hard times, with the economy at a low, with prosperity preaching and false prophets, why not believe that predators lurk right inside the sanctuary under the cloak of ministry, sitting in the church pews right behind you. Who would dare use the temple as a stalking ground, looking for victims in order to prosper oneself? Only cunning, smooth, manipulators with hedonistic tendencies and behaviors, who wouldn’t stop at anything in order to have their passion fulfilled. Well, they exist, alive and well, sitting in the church pews, scoping their prey. I know this because of what happened to me. I was on a mission to change my life, trying to find my purpose, and during this journey on my way to my destiny, my plans took a turn for the worst beyond unbelievable proportions. What happened? How did I get here? I was in the valley of the shadow of death, broke, over $750,000.00 in debt, on the verge of losing my house, and I could not see my way out of this thing. All because I trusted a man, a black man, an educated black man, a black Greek fraternity member, a so-called Christian man, and a minister at that. Or, was he any of the above? Before this downward fall, I was in the process of going through a lengthy divorce, very vulnerable, and on the rebound. My husband of twenty years walked out on me for another woman. I had been faithful to my ex-husband even though he was a stay at home dad and had not worked the last ten years of our marriage. When he left, he took just about everything out of the house with him except for our three children and the gospel CDs. Our divorce settlement included refinancing the house. He took $35,000.00 from the equity, one of our two cars, and he just walked away. Just walked away. Just like that. Oh well. So be it. If that’s all we were worth to him, so be it. Besides, I got the deed to the house and sole custody of our children. After I finished the counseling and after attending a women’s bible study for married women (where I was the only divorcee in the group by the way), I was ready to change my life. I made a decision that it was time for me to grow closer to God, finally get this body back in shape, start a business, and keep on going. I have survived many valleys in my life. In fact, I am a seven-year brain surgery survivor and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The last thing I was looking for was another man in my life. I was just trying to get my life together. I needed to do this for me. Because of the fasting and praying, I was growing closer and closer to God. And I wanted my physical appearance to look like how I felt on the inside spiritually. So I made it my quest to lose some weight and change my appearance. I even started working out with a girlfriend at 4:00 am in the morning before work. But I was only losing one pound a week, if that. I knew I had to change my diet if I wanted to lose any significant weight. I was in too big a hurry, making last minute quick decisions without thinking, waiting, praying the right prayers, or using discernment. And because of my impatience with my weight loss, here is how I fell into the trap.