Please leave some encouragement for this bride who filled out an MEQ "Marriage Encouragement Questionnaire." Before commenting, please remember to:
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- Speak to your Husband, your Maker, to know what He wants to say to this brokenhearted bride.
- Keep it SHORT.
- Encourage sharing 1-2 Promises.
- Bridge to the course He used to lead you along your Restoration Journey.
- After 3 MM Comments and the comments are CLOSED for this session, please continue to encourage by confirming what the ministers are saying by replying beneath their MM Comments.
“Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” 2 Corinthians 13:1 - When YOU are the final 3 Cord of comments supporting o/o/o/ this bride, please CLOSE this session and paste this at the end: "Thank you, we have a 3 Cord of comments supporting \o/\o/\o/ this bride. This session is now CLOSED."
Please Note: We ask that you reply to this post ONLY if you are an IOU Student working towards qualifying for your Marriage Minister Certificate.
Next to your name, we must see your IOU Level, for example:
| Country: |
| United States |
| What language do you speak? |
| English |
| I'm here: |
| Seeking restoration for my marriage. |
| What is your current marital status? Please be sure to choose the one that BEST describes your situation. |
| Husband has remarried. |
| Have you read the book "How God Can and Will Restore Your Marriage?" |
| No |
| How did you find our ministry? |
| Searching for encouragement regarding marriage restoration post divorce and my former husband's remarriage to the other woman. |
| Now, please tell us about your situation and why you have come to us for help and what has your husband/partner said are the main issues or problems he has with you and your relationship? |
| My husband told me in June of 2020 after my mom passed from dementia related complications that he didn't think we were going to make it. It was out of nowhere. I knew I had been struggling with depression so I started seeing a counselor. He mentioned marriage counseling but decided to wait until I had a better handle on my depression. I started counseling in August and by September felt ready to engage in both continued personal and marriage counseling. He had changed his mind. By January of 2021, he wanted to let our kids know he would be moving out. I still thought we would only be temporarily separated as he said he just needed some space. I helped him pack, gave him a kiss, told him to do what he needed to do and come back to us soon. In April, I was served with divorce papers. That same month, I found out about the affair. I did all the wrong things. I outted the affair on social media though I mentioned no names. It was such a shock to me, and anyone who read my posts as they all assumed I was supporting a friend going through the situation. Next, I decided to *stand* by fighting the divorce. I did it for two years. I felt I was still to stand then he married the other woman. I then felt like maybe my *stand* was over or I heard God wrongly. It was a very confusing time. Then I was introduced to Rejoice Ministries by another stander. I never fully was on board with their approach and it never set right with my spirit, especially after reading Sex and The Stander. It seemed so very contrary to the Word to me. Since then, I have just been praying, asking God for wisdom and discernment and His will. I knew when it all happened that God was being gracious and allowing me to have all things distracting me from a deeper relationship with Him removed. He has been slowly culling a few relationships from my life, showing me my sin and responsibility in the demise of my marriage, helping me to repent and grow, and, even now, He is graciously directing my path to a support system that seems more in line with His Word and the Holy Spirit's leading. The standing ministries I had investigated never felt right to me and I never had a sense of peace, just unsettled and confused. I know God is NOT the author of confusion so I just couldn't fully commit to these site's way of standing for marriage reconciliation and restoration. I could see the draw to them as they give you something to "do" which helps fill the void of your husband's absence but doesn't really help you rely fully on the Lord. He has been merciful and gracious to me and been exactly what Isaiah 54:5 says He is:
For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. I have discovered a sweetness in my renewed relationship with Him that wasn't there for most of the 25 years I was married to my former husband. I have finally understood what it is to rely on Him for everything. He has been my protector, provider, and peace when there shouldn't have logically been any. I realized fairly soon after my husband left that I had made an idol out of him. I had placed him in the spot that God should have always had. My husband was bound to fall off the impossibly high pedestal I had placed him on sooner or later. I'm so very thankful for the wonderful husband and father he was for 23 or our 25 year marriage and I know that is more than some people ever get to have but I just don't think it is finished. I believe God has called me to pray for reconciliation and restoration but I have done even that all wrong; in my own flesh and publicly rather than in His will and way and privately. I am thankful He lead me here so I can repent and seek only Him and His will. It makes sense why I never felt 100% convinced of the standing way touted by other ministries. Thank you for being open to those of us who have done it all wrong. |
| Please use the space below to simply speak to God, in your own words, pouring your heart out to Him. |
| Kind of the Universe, thank You for Your continued mercy! I repent of having embraced a *stand* that was not in accordance with Your Word. I never felt sure or sold out about the methods encouraged to use and it makes sense to me why now. I have loved the sweet deepness our relationship has experienced over the last four years and I don't want to lose that for anyone or anything. Please forgive me for trying to work in my flesh what only You can do. You have truly been my Spouse for the last four years. My provision, protection, and peace. There was a time I wasn't sure I was going to make it but You never left me to drown in sorrow. You continued to point me to Your Word and helped me to recall the truth the You do work ALL things to the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purposes...even this. You've been showing me that this story is for Your glory as well as my good and the good of others You may bring into my path who also need to hear the truth; that You are good, Your ways are good, and You are for us, not against us. If this is true, then, really, who can be against us. More than anything, You want us to be holy before we are reconciled and restored. This takes time. Thank You for holding onto me and not giving up on me when others have and I almost did. I love you so very much, Father God. As Elisabeth Elliot said, Your will, Lord. Nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else. |
| In order for us to minister more effectively to you, please check what concerns apply to you: |
| Depressed. Abused or molested as a child. Thankfully I have no other concerns other than my relationship at this time. |
| Finally, please choose how you would like us to conduct your Marriage Evaluation from the choices below. |
| Posting your questionnaire Privately to an assigned IOU Marriage Ministry Student. Sample |
Dear Bride,
Oh my heart! I can think of so much our Lord is brining you through. First PLEASE read the book How God can and will restore your marriage
Further soak up all the lessons over and over as you can, absorb each lesson and let it go into your DNA. Also, please read
https://hopeatlast.com/c2/d8-my-husband-remarried/
As far as counseling is concern, it is often unhelpful to sit around and discus problems. Take every thought captive and let your mind be focused Him without any unwholesome speech coming out. May God work in and through you in this season as you give it ALL to Him
Dear precious bride I am so sorry for what you are going through, I know how you are feeling, but I am so grateful that you are relying on the Lord for everything. I agree with Annabeth, please do Course 1 – https://hopeatlast.com/c1/ and I want to encourage you to please fill out the journal at the end of each lesson because there you get the chance to share what you have learned as well as to pour out your heart to our Darling Lord.
I received a restored marriage after my husband remarried the other women, please read my testimony – https://encouragingwomen.org/restored-marriage-testimony-classic-remarried-sober-after-15-painful-years/
Please also listen to my testimony of how our Darling Lord freed me from depression – https://encouragingwomen.org/alive-with-a-purpose/ as well as the podcast I did with my own sister that was molested while I was in the car too – https://encouragingwomen.org/healing-love/
I want to encourage you enjoy your time with our Darling Lord, fall more and more in love with the Lord and remember nothing is impossible for our Darling Lord – https://biblehub.com/luke/1-37.htm and our Darling Lord can turn any heart – “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases.” P21:1 https://biblehub.com/proverbs/21-1.htm
Dear precious sister like you l was a Stander and l relate to everything you shared about Standers. I followed what they recommended and it just did not feel right, l was left feeling more confused, my situation got worse, l was left feeling more embarrassed and crying out for answers.. the Lord led me here thru a woman who shared the RYM How God Can & Will Restore book. Everything then started making sense and l knew l was on to the right thing.
There are 2 lessons l feel led to share that l want you to read that will helpbmake more sense of everything
https://hopeatlast.com/c2/d27-standers-ministries/
And
https://hopeatlast.com/c2/d25-counseling-psychology/
I know that what we are sharing is a lot but take your time, click on links and read thru everything asking the Lord questions, always Seek God SG.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6
https://biblehub.com/hosea/4-6.htm
“Thank you, we have a 3 Cord of comments supporting \o/\o/\o/ this bride. This session is now CLOSED.”