Precedent Quotes

“Knowing what the "right" answer was wouldn’t make it easier to carry through, however. She knew Chuck was struggling with the very same thing. Choosing wasn’t about control, though. It was about trust. Again. When she and Chuck were separated, she felt like God was trying to teach her to trust Him implicitly, before the answers came. The answers did come, along with reconciliation with her husband.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“I’m going to need Your help choosing to rejoice in You.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“Even though I have nothing now, no hope for tomorrow and no prospect that anything is ever going to change for the better, I WILL CHOOSE to rejoice in God, my God, my salvation. He is my strength and He enables me to walk through these fires with confidence, like it was my natural habitat.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“Whether or not the sins are the root cause of all the pain, it seems that distress at least brings on sin. Sins of wrong thinking about God. Sins of ascribing improper, unloving motives to His actions. Sins of demanding explanations or fixes for the situation. Instead, it should be a time of examination and confession, if for no other reason than to break down the barrier to comfort.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“it’s hard for me not to focus on what I’ve lost. I don’t want to slip back to where I was. I want to trust You. I want to lean on You. I want to hold onto the hope You give, but today it’s harder for me to find it. Help me find what’s true once more, rather than being controlled by what I feel.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“What can I do to help you?” “Be patient with me a little longer.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“My head was way ahead of my heart when it came to reconciling with you, and we both had to wait for my heart to catch up. Intellectually, I know God is right and I’m wrong, but I don’t have the faith to say, ‘I’ll take whatever You give me.’ I’m pretty sure I can get there, though, if I have some time and some guidance.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“God knows what it’s like to have a son murdered. He knows the frustration and the injustice . . . and the emptiness.” A sideways glance at Brad’s picture sitting on the desk caused her to tear up. “For months, I’ve felt like God did this to me. That He could have prevented Brad’s death, and for whatever reason, He just didn’t.” She wiped her eyes quickly with the heel of her hand. “I didn’t understand what God was doing and after a while, I didn’t want to.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“She looked up into the sky and shouted with a guttural primal voice she didn’t recognize. “How could You take him? What good did this accomplish? I’ve done everything You’ve told me to.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“You know, your pain, your feelings are more important to you than anything else in your life right now. That makes ’em your god.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“That’s a cop-out! He doesn’t work that way, and you know it.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“How could she trust that He was good, that He loved her, that He was working everything to His glory? She couldn’t.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“It wasn’t that simple. She had to resolve how a good, loving, heavenly Father could snatch her son away.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“she didn’t understand God anymore. She always believed He didn’t act randomly or capriciously. That just wasn’t His character. So how could Brad’s death possibly work for any good and God’s glory? No one could answer that one. Besides, God is the sovereign Lord. He can do what He wants and she had to accept it. Isn’t that what Job concluded?”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“Glen said this was a continuation from last week. Also innocent.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“She didn’t want to feel comforted and welcomed. She wanted confirmation of the cold, hard rejection in God’s heart.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“She’s hurt because you didn’t give her the benefit of the doubt.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent

“If she loses your approval, then nobody else matters. That’s the way it is with daddies and daughters.”
― Paula Wiseman, Precedent