Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 6
In the story of the older couple, the man refuses to tell Merle what to do and only says, “You’ll be all right,” which later unsticks him; what does that reveal about God’s way of guiding—sometimes giving commands, sometimes giving perspective—and how does that affect the way you counsel others who want certainty?
Another way to ask: The older man doesn’t tell Merle what to do and only says, “You’ll be all right,” and it later helps him. What does that show about how God guides us—sometimes with clear directions and sometimes with a new way to see things—and how should that shape how you advise someone who wants certainty?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
It reveals that guidance isn’t always a direct instruction; sometimes what we need is perspective and reassurance that a crisis won’t define our whole life. That should shape counseling so we don’t always rush to give answers, but sometimes help someone “get off center” and move forward.
- Merle describes being stuck for “about three months,” while his wife “knew in 30 seconds,” and the indecision “affected our relationship.”
- He went intending total submission: “I’m just going to do whatever he tells me to do.”
- The older man refuses to prescribe action: “Well, you’ll be all right… we went through something like that… and you’ll be okay.”
- Merle initially judges it as unhelpful: “I was really frustrated… I just need him to tell me what to do.”
- Later the message works: from a “20 years later” viewpoint, the older man wasn’t even worried; that “helped me to get off center and get unstuck… and feel like I can decide something.”