These Are The Ones.
Have you wondered how one finds hope for a hurting marriage?
I walked out of the auditorium doors just as one of our Easter services ended. Throngs of people streamed out shortly thereafter, with my husband just behind them. This was the third of five Easter services, and we had a short window of time before we would head back up onto to the platform to lead worship together.
Someone touched my arm, and I turned to see a good friend of ours, along with a young couple. She explained, “these are the ones.” I did a double take. These are the ones?
Only months earlier, this couple separated after infidelity was revealed in their marriage.
Our mutual friend, sad to see this family of five split apart and hurting, emailed the couple a video of one of our live Side By Side events, where we share how God healed our broken marriage. This was a “last ditch effort” to lead the couple away from their impending divorce.
Each spouse watched our story separately. What happened next is only something God could orchestrate. They each saw enough hope within our story that they decided to recommit to fighting for their marriage. A miracle, truly. They found hope for their hurting marriage. The husband moved back into their home and they began the long journey toward healing.
That Easter Sunday, we were laying eyes on them for the first time. And they, us. But our story and theirs connected us in a deep and meaningful way. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked beyond them to see their children quietly watching.
This family is together because God decided to share His hope through our story. Wow.
I don’t think I will ever forget how I felt in that moment.
THESE ARE THE ONES.
These are the ones, and there are countless others, with whom we have the privilege of sharing God’s hope.
It’s been over two years since that Easter Day. I am happy to say the couple is in a God-centered, thriving marriage. Their children have parents who are committed to the Lord and committed to each other. What a gift!
We’ve been blessed to help many couples since then. We are following God’s call to envision all marriages God-centered and thriving. We strive to inspire and encourage hurting couples to value, nurture and restore their marriages.
When we are introduced to a hurting couple, we know these are the ones God has asked us to share His hope with.
We pray that our new website, staysidebyside.org, will allow us to be introduced to more and more couples that need to experience hope. It is our deepest desire to connect with hurting marriages, encourage them toward restoration, and provide a path of healing.
We trust that God, through this new website and beyond, will nudge us lightly and say, “These are the ones.”