photo credit: Rob Gonyea
Kelli is guest blogging today with an encouraging article reminding us that Satan seeks to destroy marriages. We need to pray everyday for our husbands! I really like the symbolism she used of “holding the lantern” to help her husband find his way! We are the light of the world and a light for our spouse!
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16
Kelli writes:
It has been two years this past February that my life was turned upside down. Two years this summer that it all blew up and two years this summer that God put all the pieces back together again.
My husband and I had been married for 16 years and I thought we had a pretty great marriage. What I didn’t know was that I had lost touch. You know, life, it gets in the way. I was laying in bed watching TV one February night and my husband said, “I think we need to go see a counselor…about us.”
I was blindsided. I had no idea things were not as perfect in his mind as they were in mine. I tearfully agreed. We went to a counselor and things seemed to get better….I thought. The summer months quickly came, life continued to get in the way. Then there were the phone calls and the texts….from her. I realized then that this was greater than me, bigger than anything I could fix, and I needed help.
I loved my husband more than anything and was not ready to hand over my marriage to Satan. So after the initial shock and anger and feelings that I could never forgive him… it happened. I was alone one day in the house and I began to pray about my marriage. I felt hopeless. I wanted to be angry at my husband. I didn’t want to forgive, but I heard that still small voice say to me, “But I forgave you.“
And that is when the change started happening….not with my husband but with me. Not only had life gotten in the way of my marriage but it had gotten in the way of my relationship with my first love – Jesus. So I began to work on this relationship first. As I did that, my attitude changed. I became a fierce warrior, fighting Satan for my husband’s heart.
I began to pray for him many, many times a day. When I was alone in my car I’d pray out loud for him. I prayed that God would lead my husband’s heart back to me and to our nine year old daughter. I cried and poured out my heart to Jesus many times. I asked Him to forgive me first. There were many discussions between my husband and I during this time. We discussed him leaving. I told him that wasn’t what I signed up for. I signed up for better or for worse….leaving wasn’t an option.
So he stayed. I prayed.
I prayed that God would ALWAYS be my mouthpiece. And He was. He gave me the words to say.
I told my husband one time that I would always be holding the lantern for him waiting for him to come home to me and to our daughter.
I prayed that God would “shut the lions mouth” as far as this other woman was concerned and He did. I don’t believe that my husband was ever physically unfaithful. I do believe there was emotional unfaithfulness though. And it hurt. But when it hurt I’d remember that still small voice and I would try to forgive again.
I had prayer warriors too – people that were close to me praying for my husband. I didn’t tell too many people because I always wanted to protect my husband, but I needed help in praying for him and I needed people to pray for me too.
One Sunday late in June I was at the grocery store after church and I got a text from my husband. It simply said, “I’m home.” I text back, “I know. I just left you at home – silly.” He text back, “No. I mean I’m REALLY home.” Needless to say, all the shopping didn’t get done that day. God healed our marriage. Today it is better than ever.
Did I do everything right? No.
Do I still get worried sometimes? Yes.
We continued counseling a few more times. I believe that Satan is out to destroy every single marriage that he can. But God is out to save every single marriage that He can. My husband is changed. I am changed.
We both realized – thank God – that if we wanted our marriage to be healed and better than ever that we needed to make Christ the center of our lives and our marriage. I pray every day for a hedge of thorns around our marriage. I also pray regularly for all the other marriages out there that Satan is seeking to devour. I will always, always hold the lantern for my husband when he loses his way, and now I know that he will also be holding that lantern for me.
- Kelli Wilson
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