Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Mercy (01/15/26)
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TITLE: Forever a Debtor | Previous Challenge Entry
By Asha John
01/21/26 -
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Gladys turned towards him with a reassuring smile. Slipping his hand into his coat pocket, he fingered the folded sheet of paper tucked inside as he stood up to walk towards the podium.
Lord, help me, please Jason whispered a silent, desperate prayer.
Gripping the pulpit in a nonchalant way, which he hoped would mask the nervousness he felt, Jason pulled out the slip of paper.
I would like to thank you all sincerely for taking the time to listen to my story.
Before I begin, I would like to bring your attention to a hymn by Augustus Toplady, a man who lived two centuries ago, which says it best.
A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing…
After reading through the lyrics, Jason paused to clear his throat and look over the group. His heart swelled up with a deep sense of gratitude as his eyes lingered for a moment on the person through whom God displayed his mercy in an incredible way.
About twenty years back, I was first introduced to the hard stuff at a fraternity shindig. I didn’t get hooked right away. But it didn’t take long to get there.
At first, I would get drunk only at parties, but by the time I graduated, I found myself in a bar every other day.
Meeting Gladys, the love of my life, did make a dent in that lifestyle for a short time.
However, two years into our marriage, I was back to square one. A medical diagnosis, which confirmed that we could never have children, became the justifiable scapegoat for my return to a life of dissipation.
Most days after work, I would head out to the bar with my drinking buddies.
Around the same time I went back to heavy drinking, Gladys had a life-changing experience of her own. At a church meeting to which one of her friends had invited her, she received Jesus into her life. Even through the drunken fog, I began to notice that she was gentler and kinder. I couldn’t really rattle her, even with my cursing and swearing. Behind closed doors, she was often on her knees praying for me. Whenever I came home late, which was all too often, she would be waiting with my dinner warming in the oven.
That infuriated me even further. Oh man, was I really mean!
Jason could not keep the tremor out of his voice or the tears that welled up.
In the rare times I was sober, Gladys would quietly talk about how Jesus brings true meaning to life. However, I would quickly cut her off, scoffing at the very idea.
On a typical night in the bar years later, in between all the crass jokes, I started to brag that my wife was an angel. I still have no idea what brought that on. The other fellows did not believe me. So, I challenged them to accompany me home that night, and to my surprise, they took the dare.
Around midnight, I pulled the car up the driveway. Four of my buddies, fully drunk, piled out and followed me to the front door. Just as I had anticipated, Gladys greeted me at the door with a smile and a “Hello, Jason!”
Though I rudely brushed her aside, I can never forget the look of fear in her eyes when she spotted four other drunk men following me inside.
I belligerently ordered her to get us dinner. Without a word, Gladys brought the dinner casserole along with some bread and dessert to the table before she quietly left the room.
I suddenly noticed that the men had become silent. They sat down to the meal, but no one responded to my rude remarks about the food. And then something entirely unexpected happened.
My best buddy, Jim, quietly put down his fork, stood up, and looked me straight in the eye, saying, “You do not deserve her. I want no part of this”.
In the next few minutes, to my greatest astonishment, one by one, they left.
That was my moment of reckoning. An avalanche of guilt hit me.
Looking up with tear-filled eyes, I saw Gladys bending down to hug me…
Based on a true story
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Even though I do not drink alcohol, I know what a devastating disease this is to so many people especially since this is based on a true story.