“I’m a student from another country and I’d like to learn about some of your customs. For example, what is the meaning of the holiday you call “Thanksgiving”? Does it have something to do with Christianity?”
“I used to laugh when I saw associates of mine go through a so-called midlife crisis—new convertible, new girlfriend, new attempts to turn back the clock, etc. Well, now it’s happened to me, and I don’t know what to do. I’ve already destroyed my family, and I don’t even care. Any advice?”
“My wife won’t have anything to do with church or God. I can’t even talk with her about it or she gets upset. She lets me go my own way (I’m very active in my own church) but that’s about it. I know it’s usually husbands who act like this, but not in our family. Why is she like this? ”
“My husband got upset with me the other day because he says all I do is criticize him. Instead of getting angry (like I usually do), I stopped and thought about it, and I guess he’s probably right. But what can I do? I make critical remarks without even thinking.”
“Many years ago, I stole some money from the owner of a store where I was working. The store no longer exists and the owner has died, but now that I’m a Christian I know I did wrong and feel I ought to make things right somehow. Or has God already forgiven my theft and I’m worrying needlessly?”
“Are we just hopelessly old-fashioned, like our niece says? She just moved in with her boyfriend, and now she wants to bring him along when her family comes for Christmas. We’ve told her that she’s welcome, but not to bring the boyfriend. We don’t have a spare bedroom for him, and we refuse to approve of the way they’re living.”
“Are some people just natural worriers? My brother’s wife is like that — constantly worrying about bad things that might happen (although they almost never do). She’s always looking on the gloomy side, and I even find it hard to be around her.”
“My aunt has a lot of personal problems, but whenever I try to get her to deal with them, she refuses. She says she’ll soon be in heaven anyway and then all her problems will be gone. But if we have problems, shouldn’t we go ahead and face them?”
“My wife has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and I don’t know how I’m going to take it. She’s already showing signs of forgetfulness, and I know it’s only going to get worse. Please pray I’ll somehow find the strength to get through this.”
“I’m having an affair with a woman I met at the gym six months ago, and as long as we’re happy, what’s wrong with it? My wife and I have kind of drifted apart, and I’m not sure our marriage is going to last anyway. So what’s the big deal?”
“You keep telling people they need to have God forgive them, but I’m not such a bad person and I don’t feel any particular need to be forgiven for anything. Why should I pray for forgiveness?”
“I thought I was making the right move when I dumped my husband and moved in with another man a couple of years ago. But now he’s thrown me out, my ex-husband has remarried, my kids don’t want anything to do with me, and I’m left out in the cold. How could I have been so stupid? I hope others learn from my experience.”