February 13, 2023
Gil Moegerle ’67, Washington, business communication consultant
My favorite entertainment genre is the mystery adventure story. For example, I’m a fan of Agatha Christie and her world’s greatest detective, monsieur Hercule Poirot. One reason I enjoy a good mystery is the fun of trying to guess “who done it” before Poirot’s closing scene in some splendid old British library with all possible suspects present.
Imagine my surprise when God spoke to me through this type of story during one of the darkest periods of my life – divorce. If we dream of lifelong marriage and bequeathing a secure, intact family to our children, there is no more heart-wrenching experience. I sometimes think this pain is worst for people of faith who pray for help, seek Godly counseling, and still lose their dream.
A surprise question crossed my mind as I watched a Christie movie a year or two after my marriage ended. In retrospect, I believe the thought sequence was the voice of the Spirit. “You love the suspense of a good mystery adventure,” the voice said. “Do you think you could view life with Jesus similarly? What if the frustrating chapters of your story are plotlines? Could they be seen as part of your own mystery adventure? What if you envision a future day when your heavenly Father welcomes you to His spectacular library and explains your entire story?”
That moment was a significant turning point in processing the pain of my divorce. The mysteries of our faith took on greater meaning, and I began requesting fewer answers from the Lord at this point in the plot. I share this experience not because I enjoy telling you, “I’m divorced,” but because I think God’s many means of comforting us in our pain are meant not just for us. Paul said it this way:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we receive from God. II Cor. 1