I have a tale to relate.
It is a sad tale of oppression, suppression, and dreams deferred.
In my former congregation, there was an elder who lorded it over the flock and his wife. The poor lady was possessed of a college degree and was a gifted musician, but he made sure all this was pushed into the background.
He talked her into quitting her job so that she could put more time into the "ministry." He selected her associates, and would not allow her access to the KH so that she could practice in order to keep her musical abilities up to speed. Heck, I've even witnessed her asking him which size eggs to buy! I kid you not.
She did all she could to prove herself a "capable wife" - going so far as to have the last of their two children at home so that he wouldn't have to pay the hospital bill. He watched her like a hawk and wouldn't let her have any interaction with men, at the KH or elsewhere.
I well remember working with her in FS and getting into a conversation with a handsome man who answered the door. He was very good-looking, tall, dark, with killer teeth. The two became engrossed with the topic of how to identify true Christians.
Don't you know, hubby wasn't having any of that! He came over in a huff, eyes shooting daggers at both of them, and demanded that they break up the conversation then and there.
I could tell the man didn't appreciate this, because as he explained to the husband, "Your wife came to MY door. I didn't invite her here, so why are you going off like that?" He was a muscular, well-built guy, so hubby backed off quickly. I was secretly hoping he would set hubby back on his controlling, domineering bummy!
I could go on and on with more tales, but suffice it to say that he made life miserable for his long-suffering wife. Well, I've just learned from my daughter that the dear wife had to be committed to the State mental institution.
What happened? Hubby came home from work one day to an empty house. He went looking for his wife and found her at the crisscrossing of the two main roads that run through town. She was wearing Daisy Duke shorts, made up like a clown, and was trying to entice men to pick her up!
It is so unlike her that everyone is shocked. The whole community is horrified. I feel for the wife, and hope she will get the help she so desperately needs. This is another blow to the witnessing efforts down here, because everyone knows about the situation.
As I said at the outset, this is a sad tale, but so very true.
Sylvia