Mindy and Cindy
Miller are identical twin sisters but only a few people can tell them
apart at first glance. Stella Peterson thought she was one of them
but when she bumped into them at the mall she got them all mixed up.
“What are you doing at the mall?” one of the twins asked Stella.
“My mom though she needed me to help her do some shopping.”
Stella said, “But somehow I managed to lose her. This is suppose
to be our meeting point if we got separated.”
“Sounds about
right.” Mindy said. “Our mom drug us down here to help her do
some shopping as well.” “Yeah,” Cindy added, “She wanted us
to help her get some stuff for the move.” “MOVE!” Stella
gasped, “What in the world are you talking about?
“We're moving.”
Mindy said, “And if all goes well we will be moving by the end of
next week.” “But you can't move.” Stella said, “You're my
friends and I'll miss you and....” “Hold on, hold on.” Mindy
interrupted, “We’re not moving, moving were just moving.”
“What?” Stella asked with a confused look on her face, “That
doesn't make sense.”
“She means we're
getting new bedrooms.” Cindy said. “So, You're not really
moving, moving you're just moving.” Stella said. “I get it.”
“Yeah,” Mindy added, “And mine is going to be in the attic, and
hers is going to be in the basement.” “And its all her fault.”
Cindy added. “It is not.” Mindy shot back, “It's your fault.”
“Well, if you
would keep your stuff picked up we probably wouldn’t have to move.”
Cindy said. “Well, if you would quit throwing my stuff in the
garbage.” Mindy continued. “Alright” Stella injected, “I
didn't mean to start you two arguing, especially here in the mall.”
“But it is her fault.” Mindy said. “No it's not.” Cindy
countered, “It's yours because you're a slob.” “Can I help it
that your such a neat freak.” Mindy said.
“I am not a
freak.” Cindy protested, “Besides, Mom and Dad are always telling
us to keep our room clean, and to do our school work.” “But
that’s too much work.” Mindy protested this time. Trying to keep
this from becoming a big argument, Stella quickly asked, “So,
what’s going to happen to the room you’re in now?”
“Mom said she was
going to turn it into a nursery.” Cindy said. “That's why we're
here. She wants us to help her pick out some wallpaper, some
decorations and some furniture.” “What is your mom going to do
with a nursery?” Stella asked. “What do you think you do with a
nursery.” Cindy snickered, “She going …..” “Oh no.” Mindy
interrupted, “She can't be.” “MOM!” the twins hollered
together and took off. “Does this mean what I think it means.”
Stella said with her eyes growing as big as saucers.
Now Sarai,
Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian
servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold
now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my
servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And
Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten
years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the
Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.
And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she
had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Hagar
bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar
bore, Ishmael.
Genesis
16:1-4,15 (ESV)
God had promised
Abraham a son but when Sarah wasn't getting pregnant, she devised a
plan to have Hagar get pregnant for her, she did and now, many years
later, after Sarah had her promised son, problems arose. Here is the
story
The LORD visited
Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.
And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time
of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son
who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. … And the child
grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that
Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom
she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, "Cast
out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman
shall not be heir with my son Isaac." And the thing was very
displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to
Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of
your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you,
for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a
nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your
offspring." So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread
and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder,
along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and
wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin
was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went
and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a
bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the
child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and
wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God
called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you,
Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will
make him into a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and
she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water
and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up.
He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He
lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him
from the land of Egypt.
Genesis
21:1-21 (ESV)
In this story we
can find a story of conflict between Sarah and Hagar and their sons.
What does the Bible have to say about unnecessary conflict and the arguments that
often pursue.
-
Proverbs 13:10 Pride only leads to arguments, but those who take advice are wise. (NCV) Can you see potential conflict in the story? How about between Mindy and Cindy?
-
James 4:1 Spells out another source of conflict when he says Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you. (NCV)
-
Acts 5:29 shows us another source - Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God, not human authority! (NCV)
To combat conflict
and arguing or fighting remember the words of Solomon..
-
Proverbs 26:20 Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. (HCSB)
-
Proverbs 17:14 To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out. (HCSB)
-
Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up conflict, but a man slow to anger calms strife. (HCSB)
Here's Something
To Ponder
-
In what ways do you stir up conflict?
-
In what ways to you strive to keep conflict from turning into fighting?
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