"It Was Such a Blessing to See God's Hand Move."
Editor's Note: This encouraging story highlights the power of inviting someone to a Weekend to Remember marriage conference, but due to the privacy of the couples involved, the name of the author and her acquaintances have been omitted.
I love to see God work through us to touch other people.
Last April, I traveled to a state across the country with our son for four days of testing for some health problems he was experiencing. There I met another mom and her stepdaughter who were there for the same testing … and they happened to live about 20 minutes away from our home, back in our home state.
At one point, I noticed her crying and immediately sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to reach out and show her that I cared. I also saw I needed to be patiently persistent as she seemed to be in a "shell" of sorts. After gently consoling her, I handed her the only business card I had with our phone number on it. It was our Sunday school card, which listed us as "care group leaders." Trying not to be pushy, I encouraged her to call me anytime, even if just to have a set of listening ears. She was obviously hurting, and she indicated she was "going through a lot" and left it at that.
During our stay, I initiated a get-together with her for our kids and us to swim. She came, and I found out a little more information about her stress. She didn't share a whole lot, but it was enough to lay the foundation for welcoming additional follow-up with each other after we both returned home.
An Empty Room
Back home, my husband, Mick, and I were planning to attend a Weekend to Remember conference. We booked four rooms at the conference hotel for others in our church, but one of the rooms wasn't taken. But before I got around to canceling the room, the mother I had met called me and began telling me details of her marriage, which was on the verge of divorce. I had some free time that afternoon, so I offered to come over and listen/talk. She accepted.
My wonderful husband offered to take care of the kids in order to let me stay as long as she needed. As I talked with her, I remembered that extra room that I hadn't canceled yet, and I invited her and her husband to attend the conference. She seemed hesitantly open to considering it, and was going to be meeting with a lawyer on Wednesday to "look at her options," i.e. divorce.
I was still at her house when her husband arrived home with their pastor. Again I extended the invitation to the Weekend to Remember. The husband seemed to jump at the opportunity to go, begging me not to cancel the room. He said even if they didn't go, he'd pay for it anyway.
I gave him my husband's cell phone number to call as a source of encouragement, and they extended an invitation for our son and us to come to his daughter's (her stepdaughter's) birthday later that month. After that, I knew there was enough common ground and friendship there to be encouraged to continue contact with them.
The husband called and e-mailed back and forth with my husband, establishing a source of hope and help for the hurting man, as well as I was for his wife. The husband stayed on his wife about going to the marriage conference. Even after meeting with the attorney on Wednesday, she agreed to go…but there was one more major hurdle—the husband was on parole, and needed permission from a judge to leave town and attend the conference.
I offered to write a letter to whomever it concerned explaining the purpose and benefits of the Weekend to Remember conference, as well as my affiliation with this couple and our own credibility as Sunday school care group leaders at our church. It was presented to the judge Thursday morning at the hearing ... and he just happened to be one of 12 judges who attended an "Adopt A Leader" prayer service at our church the previous Sunday! So now he was reading a letter from someone in the church that had just honored him, and he could see that we were involved and trying to make a difference in the lives of the community as well.
The judge decided to allow the couple to attend the conference. But the next day, as my husband and I were finally in our car driving up to the conference, the husband called, saying that his parole officer found out about the judge's decision and was going to try and get the decision overturned by another judge. We fought that spiritual battle in prayer, asking for miraculous protection from the Holy Spirit to keep them at the conference that weekend.
At the Weekend to Remember Conference
The couple finally came to the conference. Friday night's sessions were very tough as the material dealt with the cultural "threats" they are facing to their marriage. Saturday we noticed they were actually becoming more affectionate with each other, in spite of some obviously difficult topics.
They heard the gospel, and we could tell they were somewhat closed to it. However, they have agreed to shelve the divorce plans and try to work things out. We've reminded them how difficult it will realistically be to strengthen their marriage, so they don't buy into unrealistic expectations of an "overnight cure." They even purchased some materials at the conference store based on our recommendations.
How's that for a tapestry of God's divine orchestrations? From meeting the woman in a distant town across the country ... the availability of a room at the conference hotel ... the excitement of the husband about attending ... it was such a blessing to see God's hand move—and to be a vessel of His grace in other couples' lives.
|
|
Choosing Wisely: Before You Divorce By Church Initiative, Inc. Before deciding whether to divorce or stay together, Choosing Wisely: Before You Divorce will help you step back from the emotional turmoil you now face to take an objective view of how divorce (if you select that path) will affect your life.