Margo had gone through three divorces so moved to another town.  There was a Christian book shop in this town and she decided to buy a Bible there. Her grandfather had taken her to a church service when she was a little girl. She remembered that she was happy being in the church so she asked the lady in the bookshop if she knew of any people that could help her understand the Bible. So Margo joined the Bible study group.

We start every Bible study with a question to build community and get to know each other.  By the third week, Margo decided she was willing to think up a question for next time.  This was her question: “So we are studying the book of Luke about the life of Jesus, but how do you put into practice what you are learning about Jesus?”  That was an exceptionally good question, difficult to answer and one we will never forget!

The following year Margo met a nice man.  He needed her help and Margo was willing to help him.  She got more and more involved and came to the point where he was taking up all of her time and energy and she could no longer come to the Bible study.   This nice boyfriend decided Margo needed to sell her car and he helped her with that.  After the car sold for 5,000 euros, he decided to skip town and keep the money for himself.  Suddenly, Margo is without a car or boyfriend.

She came back to the Bible study and began to realise there what she had missed. She could not sleep at night. One day she asked for a visit from one of the CBS leaders.  She told her whole story and how she was having nightmares at night waking up with sweats and panic attacks.  The CBS leader explained to her that Ephesians 4:32 says that we must forgive because Christ also forgave us.  She went on to explain that it would be helpful to write a list of things that this boyfriend has done to her that have hurt her so much.  She also must learn to forgive herself. Then she needs to destroy the piece of paper and give all those hurts and pains to God in prayer.  They prayed together and Margo promised to do that.

A few weeks later she came to the Bible study group and shouted happily for all to hear: “I have done it!  I wrote it all down, I burned the papers and gave it all to God!  And now I can sleep all night and have had no more nightmares!  This Bible study is helping me be a different person.  I am so happy with it and I will never let another boyfriend keep me from it!

Margré Hays