At a recent marriage convention a young couple shared that their past situations aren’t for them to keep in a bottle of shame, hidden from the world. But instead it is their obligation to share the testimony of what God has done in their marriage and their lives for HIS glory. It is also for others who are undergoing the same situation to know they aren’t alone, that there is one who can and will restore all that has been seemingly lost.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43:18-19
When I first met Hubs he was convinced he would marry me. I wanted nothing to do with him but his persistence pushed away all of my suitors and eventually he was the last one standing. A few short weeks later he moved from Connecticut to Florida to be with a girl who would only give him just a single shot- the rest is history.
Into our 4th year of marriage, 2016 was a trying year for us. It was filled with lies, infidelity and betrayal but also an opportunity to trust and experience God In a way like never before.
Being raised in church you hear about all the characteristics of God:
- Healer
- Provider
- Deliverer
- Father
- Friend
- Counselor
In the months that followed I would learn to hear and trust God at a very intimate level. With a complete dependency on HIM and not on what was happening but who HE was and the promises HE had decreed over our lives, future, family and marriage. Like from “the War Room” I was fighting through prayer.
Several called me delusional, they told me that my marriage was over and I needed to start thinking about the new life I now had to build as a single parent. But the conviction I felt that God would restore and make new our marriage went beyond what anyone said.
“Faith is confidence in what we hope for and action in what we cannot see” - Hebrews 11:1
The months passed and when anyone least expected it my faith turned to action became reality and my husband found his way back. God used my situation to turn the disbelief of others into an opportunity of showing what relationship vs. religion is really about.
I would be lying to you if I told you this process was easy, that it didn’t and doesn’t at time still hurt. I would be lying if I told you after moving to Georgia I didn’t want to and eventually tried to call it quits with the constant unraveling of a story that couldn’t be forgotten soon enough. Lost in the mentality of being better off on my own because I don’t “need” a husband. But in those times I wanted to walk out it was my husband who shut down the devil’s lies.
“in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:11
This isn’t a one-sided story, this was and continues to be just as much my husband’s undertaking as it is mines. While I have to live with the memory and painful tinge of what happened, he has to live with the guilt and yes, the hurt of having stepped outside of his marriage and the regret of never being able to take any of it back. Everyday I see a conscious effort in him to show his love and dedication to us and become all he was designed to be as a man, husband and father.
So what does our relationship look like now, one year later? Not perfect, we are rebuilding on a new friendship with a foundation built on the rock that is Jesus and on transparency, love and with time even trust. Through this I learned that the changes I longed for my husband to make weren’t mine to enforce but instead by leaving Hubs in God’s hands HE would take care of making the necessary changes- God never needed my help, he just needed my surrender.
I would publicly like to thank my inner tribe for all of their support whether it was a listening ear, a warm hug, or an uplifting prayer. Thank you for loving us regardless of the circumstance and its outcome.
Photography by the talented Sydney Marie Photography, check our more photos from our session down below.
