The Buoy and the Rock
Introduction
In this short story I am sharing with you one of my life's experiences and the wisdom the Lord Jesus has given me through it. My hope and prayer is you will be both blessed and encouraged by this little booklet.
This story is about God's faithfulness. We can trust Him and stand firm on His promises.
He will never leave us or forsake us.
He will be with us through the valley.
He will answer our prayers.
He works all things for the good of those who love him.
Even though He may not answer our prayers the way we want Him to, we must trust Him because He loves us and wants only what is best for us.
1
An Unholy Union
The year of 2000 was a very difficult year for me. In 1997 I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I had hoped my live-in boyfriend would also choose Jesus. Even though he pretended to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior at the same time I did, it became obvious by his behavior he had not.
Likewise every good tree
bears good fruit,
but a bad tree
bears bad fruit.
A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit,
and a bad tree
cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not
bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown
into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit
you will recognize them.
Matthew 7:17 to 20 N.I.V.
Our home soon became a battleground between darkness and light.
Whoever believes in him
is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe
stands condemned already
because he has not
believed in the name of
God's one and only Son.
This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world,
but men loved darkness
instead of light
because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil
hates the light,
and will not
come into the light
for fear that his deeds
will be exposed.
John 3:18 to 20 N.I.V.
2
Separation
Late in 1999 I knew the time had come for me to leave. The Lord called me to leave in February of 2000. I rented an apartment on the opposite side of the city.
After I had left, X kept visiting me and for a few months we had a very turbulent make up and break up relationship. Even though he apologized for his behavior and pleaded with me to give him another chance, the abuse had escalated to the point where his violent episodes were within fourty-eight hours of us getting together again. Each time I did not want to go back to him, but I seemed to be totally helpless to resist him.
Finally I asked the Lord, "Why do I keep going back? I really don't want to go back, so why do I?" The Lord revealed to me the truth of why I was unable to say no to X. I was in bondage to him.
When a man and woman are married, they are married before God. Their union is a covenant of two blessed by God. Husband, wife, and God.
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands
is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 N.I.V.
When a man and woman live together, God is not a part of it. Their union is a contract between two but it is not blessed by God. They have left the door wide open to the enemy of their souls. Man, woman, and Satan.
The Lord revealed to me I was terrified of X. I was afraid to say no to him. Even though I kept telling him "No!", he would not take no for an answer. Finally, three years to the exact day I met him, I signed a protection order to keep him away from me.
Then I went for group abuse counseling. As I listened to the stories of the other women, I was amazed my situation was not unique. Many women were stuck in destructive relationships.
Even though the relationship I had been in was destructive, I still cared deeply for this man. The counsellors explained I would have to go through the grieving process. Anger, fear, loneliness, denial, and depression were all part of this process.
One day I was struggling with loneliness and cried out to Jesus. I asked Him why I couldn't just stay with X. Jesus answered me in the form of a parable.
3
The Buoy and the Rock
A person who is not a child of God is like a rock. If you throw that rock into a lake does it not sink to the bottom? Consider two people who are not children of God. If you throw both of them into a lake do they both not sink to the bottom? They may be together, but they are still on the bottom.
Now consider that one of those children has accepted Me as his Savior and Lord. Do I not come into that child and give that child buoyancy and cause that child to be a buoy? If now you throw that buoy into the lake will the buoy not quickly rise to the surface? And if you throw the rock in, right beside the buoy, will that rock not sink?
I tell you the truth, you can do nothing to make that buoy sink, and you can do nothing to make that rock stay afloat. So I ask you, does the buoy belong beside the rock at the bottom of the lake? Or does the rock belong beside the buoy on the top of the water?
I tell you the truth, a rock that remains a rock, will remain at the bottom of the lake. And a buoy, that remains a buoy, will remain on the top of the water. Should you desire to remain a buoy, you must forfeit the one that is a rock. Should you desire to lay beside the rock, you must forfeit the One who makes you buoyant and become a rock.
4
Choose Now
I knew Jesus was telling me darkness can not have fellowship with light. Darkness is the default, but light chases darkness away.
I could walk away from God and stay with X, or I could walk away from X and choose God. God was asking me to make my choice.
Do not be yoked together
with unbelievers.
For what do righteousness
and wickedness
have in common?
Or what fellowship
can light have with darkness?
What harmony is there
between Christ and Belial?
What does a believer have
in common with an unbeliever?
What agreement is there between
the temple of God and idols?
For we are the temple
of the living God.
As God has said:
"I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people."
"Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you,
and you will be
my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty."
2 Corinthians 6:14 to 18 N.I.V.
Jesus rescued me from a life of darkness, and this is one of many promises He has given me:
I will rescue you
from your own people
and from the Gentiles.
I am sending you to them
to open their eyes
and turn them
from darkness to light,
and from the power
of Satan to God,
so that they may receive
forgiveness of sins
and a place among
those who are
sanctified by faith in me.'
Acts 26:17 to 18 N.I.V.
I made my decision right then and there. I chose to remain with Jesus and live in the light of His glorious presence.
