"Birthday Card"

Date: August 6, 1995
Series: "Breaking Free, Living Free"
Message: "Breaking Free From Bitterness"
Scripture: Genesis 4:1-10, Hebrews 12:14,15
Time: About 5 minutes

Concept: On her birthday, a wife gets a birthday card from her sister, whom she has had bitterness against for a long time.  This leads to a very candid discussion about her attitude and the effect it is having on her and others.  

Scene: The wife is sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee.  Husband brings in the mail as the scene opens....

Husband: (looking through the mail as he enters)  Mail call!  Hey!  Here's a card from our favorite restaurant chain inviting you to a free meal for your birthday!  Man, those marketing people have gotten their data bases tweaked for maximum customer satisfaction!  (hands her the card)  Here you go, birthday girl!

Wife: That's nice of Benny's to do that.  Two things concern me, though.  My actual age is on their database.  That's one area of my life I'd rather kept hidden, thank you very much.  The other thing is....once my name's in that computer, I'm in there forever.

Husband: That's no big deal....you look younger than your age, and remember, there is such a thing as a "delete" key on a computer.  Previously stored information can be removed and its effects nullified, you know.

Wife: Well, thanks for the compliment, but I'd still feel better if they didn't know so much about me.  What else in the mail?  Any birthday cards that look like they have money in them?  I always like to open those first.

H: (shuffling through mail) Hmmm....here's a card for you from your Aunt and Uncle in Arizona.  If I remember them, the card will be  good, and it will have a dollar in it.  (hands it to her, she begins to open it) Here's one from my kid brother and family...always ones about how old we're getting, and definitely no moola (hands it to her, she starts to open it) .....here's one from your sister Mary (he pauses, then hands it to her, and she throws it on the floor).  Aren't you going to open it?

W: No.

H: How long is this going to keep going?  You've refused to talk to her beyond "hello and good-bye" and won't read any cards or letters she sends for going on almost 20 years now.  When are you going to let go of your bitterness toward her?

W: (can begin to sense the seething anger underneath in her) I'm not bitter!  (looks down)  If you'd have grown up with her, you'd feel the same way I do.  

H: Look, I understand about the things you grew up with.  Maybe what you feel about your folks making your sister their favorite and not treating you like they should have is valid....but we can't go back and change that!  That's in the past!  This bitterness you carry toward her is a drain on all of us.  If you'd let it go we'd all be better off.

W: My feelings toward my sister don't affect anybody but me!

H: Don't they?  There's been more than a few times when I've seen your anger pour out on me when I knew it was really toward your sister.  It affects the way you treat our kids, too,  whether you'd admit it or not.

W: That's not true!

H: (gently, with pain) Yes, honey, it is....its like a poison in your heart.  Its not getting better....its getting worse.  Its like the light in you is getting darker and darker.   I want to see that light of love in you I used to see so much again.   Look....God has a "delete key" you could use with all that stuff you hold toward your sister.  Its called forgiveness.  If you let Him, He could set you free from your bitterness!  Let God forgive you, and then you can forgive her.

W: Forgive?  She needs to ask me for forgiveness!  No....I won't do it.  Now my whole day is ruined.  Just leave me alone, will you?  (he leaves sadly)
(then, to herself)  I'm not bitter!  My heart's not getting darker...its nobody's business but mine.  (goes over, picks up card, looks at it, then throws it down again)  Its not affecting anybody but me.  (Lights go black)





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