Learning of my husband’s betrayal and affair with my best friend was the most heart wrenching news I have ever received.   We had been married for two years when I learned of his infidelity. 

Even though our Christian marriage had not been perfect, I never imagined it was in poor enough shape for him to be unfaithful.  After my initial shock and immediate anger, my next concern was for the future of our marriage.  I was more than outraged with the situation, but I wanted to find a way to avoid divorce.  However, my husband wanted to use the leak of this secret as a way out of the marriage that he had lost faith in. It was a more severe second blow to the face.

Our lives changed the instant the truth was revealed.  Divorce was not an option in my mind, so I knew we had to work through this situation, but he was not willing to try at first.  He moved out of our home and in with a friend, while I was left alone across the country from my family, and feeling very hopeless.  Breaking the shocking information to my family was probably one of the hardest moments, and of course my loving parents were heartbroken too.  Thankfully my mom helped me keep sight of the Lord, and the redeeming grace, healing and hope He offers.  She suggested George Kenworthy’s book, Before the Last Resort, as a resource to share that God is mighty enough to save our marriage.

 
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 NIV).  This verse was my anchor during this painful separation from my beloved husband.  I would cling to this image of hope each time I began to doubt that the Creator of the universe was able to repair all the brokenness in our marriage.  With all the prayers and support of the people who love us, and complete reliance on God for strength, I did not lose hope.  Slowly, I was able to begin communicating my desire to save our marriage with my husband.  He was extremely resistant to the truth, and had a hard time accepting the idea of grace. After three difficult months and countless prayers, my persistence and faith in the Lord paid off.  God’s restoration of our lives began the night before I signed a lease on my own apartment. During a conversation over a casual dinner of Chinese take-out, God broke the retaining wall of my husband’s hardened heart.  My husband told me his decision to give our marriage another chance!  Still a little too soon to shout, “VICTORY!” the message in the fortune cookie said it best; “Hallelujah!”

It has been almost two years since our marriage was rescued by the Savior, and now we are stronger, happier, and more in love than ever!  The power of God’s redeeming grace has produced forgiveness and healing in more ways than we could have ever imagined.