Juliet, how did your restoration actually begin?
My journey began at the beginning of 2015. I found out that I was pregnant with a child that we had planned since before we married four years earlier. But then, when I was about 3 months along, I began to notice many changes happening. My husband no longer wanted to go to church; he began hiding his cell phone, began mentioning the rejection or my lack of interest throughout our marriage, and I could sense a sort of indifference in the way he treated me.
That's when I suspected his involvement with a fellow student, who then made no secret of having a relationship with my husband on social media! Right after I discovered his involvement with this student, I demanded that we split up! As a result of my not taking this to God and not remaining silent, I was alone for the rest of my pregnancy, and my husband began living the single life and flaunting his involvement with this other woman, OW.
How did God change your situation, Juliet, as you sought Him wholeheartedly?
As soon as he left, and I realized that there was no turning back what I'd done, I was very sad, so disappointed in myself because of how I responded and basically gave my husband to the OW. I felt very needy and alone, thinking myself "abandoned," while I was finally pregnant, and to top it all off, I had to watch as my husband was living a single life!
Yet, God knew that's what I needed, the only way to get my attention. That's when I began to seek God with all my heart, then, one day, while looking for testimonies on the internet, I was led to this site, and this is the day that my true transformation began!!! It was when my life really started when I found my true Love!
What principles, from God's Word (or through our resources), Juliet, did the Lord teach you during this trial?
The main thing is to love God above all things! This is the greatest commandment, and our God is a God who does not allow things or people to steal His place in our hearts. We are His brides; He must be our Bridegroom. He alone must come first.
What were the most difficult times that God helped you through, Juliet?
The hardest was when I was alone, being pregnant for the first time, and I was without my son's father to share these special moments.
Though I'm not here to reveal his sins, may I share that I've had so many scary situations He's brought me through? One, the worst, was when I was in danger of losing custody of my son!
Watching my husband spend all that we had built together with the OW was so hard. All we'd built, with so much sacrifice in our lives, I lost, and it was turned over to someone else. That was very difficult—but He brought me through it—and I was able to forgive, due to praise in everything, good and bad.
Juliet, what was the “turning point” of your restoration?
The turning point was when I understood the purpose of the Lord in my life! That was when I began to look for Him with all my heart when I gave Him every decision of my life to make for me as my Husband when I stopped murmuring and began to just thank Him for His love and the way He so lovingly cared for me.
Tell us HOW it happened, Juliet. Did your husband just walk in the front door? Juliet, did you suspect or could you tell you were close to being restored?
It actually happened several times. Several times, he said he wanted to come back, but then he'd come for only a few days, and then he'd change his mind and return to the OW and his life as a single man. Once he came back for a full two weeks before he changed his mind and left the house because the OW called him. That time, just before he left, he asked me for a divorce, and I said enthusiastically, "Okay! Sure!" without any panic or sarcasm. I'd finished reading Facing Divorce Again, and I knew if I wasn't fearful if I really trusted my HH the way I said I did, then if this is what He wanted me to go through, I was fine with it. As it says, this stunned him, and he never filed.
One day, as I was having my morning coffee, I heard God speaking to me, asking me to do a 7-day fast and, in the end, to thank Him, because my victory had already been done in heaven! So I did, and after this week many things happened, and I thank God that, as of today, we have been living together for just over one year. We celebrated our son's first birthday together, and my husband posts pictures of the three of us all the time on his social media (he has also changed his status to married). We just love to be together as a family. Also, just as the spiritual leader lesson says, I'd given up going to church, and this was one of the first things he started to do. We have been going to church together at least twice a week, sitting together with our son. God completely changed everything in my life!!! Where there was shame, God gave me double honor, and I didn't need to shout it; my husband and our life has done that!!!! PRAISED BE GOD!!!
Would you recommend any of our resources in particular that helped you, Juliet?
I recommend the book How God Can and Will Restore Your Marriage, like everyone else, and to study the courses you offer on your website, courses that have helped me greatly in my days of grief sadness and hopelessness! I believe I read the Restore Your Marriage book more than five times, in less than a week.
Also important is the Daily Encourager and Finding the Abundant Life, making Him your HH.
Would you be interested in helping encourage other women, Juliet?
Yes
Either way, Juliet, what kind of encouragement would you like to leave women with, in conclusion?
Do not give up on your family! God's design is for us to have a family, and our purpose is to be an example. It is also His plan to share the hope we received with everyone we know who is in trouble and is hurting. God is in the business of winning the victory, when the timing is right, as long as we travel our journey His way!!!
Want MORE Restored Marriage Testimonies? There are 41 testimonies to read in WOTT5, 35 in WOTT6 and another 31 in WOTT7 for even MORE encouragement.
We also offer By the Word of Their Testimony Full Series Packet: 6 eBooks and in paperback By the Word of Their Testimony Full Series COMBO Packet: Paperback & eBooks.
