Marriage Can LastI’d like to share a story with you. It’s about a man, a wife, and their family.
This man was, by all accounts, a godly man. He and his family attended church, not just
regularly, but every time the doors were open, and not just their “home”
church, but any church within driving distance that was having a revival or
rally. You get the picture. He enjoyed church and loved God. He was a sincere follower of Christ and led
his family along that path.
He loved his wife.
Sure, they had their “moments”: arguments
about money and the other usual stuff.
But they definitely loved each other. No one could say a word of wrong about his
wife with him present. He would defend
her to the end. He loved his children: 4 daughters.
He was proud of them. He expected
much of them and told them they were beautiful and smart; and encouraged them
to be godly women. Some would have
considered his requirements and expectations too strict for his family. But he wanted the best for them: for them to be firm in their beliefs and to
stay close to God.
He was a hard-working man. Sometime during mid-life, his job began
taking him away from home more and more.
He was gone for several days a week.
Many times he would only be home on the weekends, and most of that time was
spent sleeping to make up for lost sleep during the week. He became more irritable and hard to please
during these days, but he was still a good man.
I want you to understand: he was a good man.
One day, he took his wife for a drive. He explained to her that there was another
woman in his life. He wasn’t officially
“having an affair”. They had just been
seeing a lot of each other during his trips away from home. Nothing physical had taken place. But, he was considering leaving his family
for her. His wife was shocked. She was hurt beyond description. They had been together 25 years. Was this really how it would end?
He left for work the next morning; Monday. He would call her Tuesday night to tell her
of his decision. His wife told him, “She
would be waiting. And that she didn’t
want him to leave. She would forgive
everything. And that she loved him.”
The phone rang late Tuesday night. The wife said hello and waited for her
answer. He had decided to come
home. He would tell the other woman it
was over, and he would be home the next day.
Here’s where the story takes a strange twist: that’s exactly what he did.
This man returned home; asked forgiveness from his
wife, which she willingly gave; confessed his sin to his family and received
forgiveness from them; and recommitted
himself to his family and to God.
He spent the rest of his life serving God, his family,
and the body of Christ.
His wife forgave him completely, and with a little
time, came to completely trust him again.
They spent 25 more years together:
according to him, “they were the happiest years of my life.”
I share this story with you because I want you to
know: marriage can work out. Tough times, bitter times, hateful times, do
not have to be the end. Even infidelity,
does not have to be the end.
Forgiveness can happen. Trust can
be restored. Hearts can be healed.
This is a true story.
The man – was my father. The wife
– my mother. The family – my sisters and
me.
Nothing is impossible with God.
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