RESTORED Marriage Testimony: “Restored on My Birthday”

♕ Today's Promise: "You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf . . . Do not fear or be dismayed . . . the Lord is with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17

☊ RMT Praise

Bethany, how did your Restoration Journey actually begin?

Friends, my ordeal started in February. One Saturday my husband said he was going to have lunch with some friends, when he returned later he was distant, and he barely spoke to me. At night I asked if something had happened, and he replied that he was tired of the relationship and that he had not been happy for a long time. He told me that he wanted to end our 5-year marriage ... I cried, begged, asked what had happened and as I came near him, he just didn't want me to touch him anymore, as if he disgusted me! He said that for him there was no reason for us to continue together. 

 On Sunday I tried to talk to him again, Lord ... how I was wrong insisting! I asked him for a chance, but he said he didn't like me anymore. But after that, for 1 month it looked like he was trying to stay in the marriage ... in the month of April, 2 months later, he texted me from his cell phone and said that I knew what he wanted, and I was reading the book "How God Can and Will Restore Your Marriage." I cried so much when I read the "contentious woman" chapter, I saw all my mistakes just like I was watching a movie. I asked God to forgive me, and He welcomed me back to be close to Him ... Praise be to God!!! 

 Meanwhile, my husband had not left the house, so at the end of April, he said he wanted to talk, he said that it was no longer good for him to be with me, that our relationship was never good, only at the very beginning, and that whenever he wanted to separate, I didn’t let him, not when we were in courtship nor during our marriage. That hurt too much, but I didn’t cry, I held on just listening. Then I told him if it is not good for us to be together and he wanted to take a break, he was free to leave in order to think. And I said I was going to go for a walk so he could decide. Before I left, he said he had one more thing ... that he likes another woman. I sat down again and asked how long ago, and he said since the end of the previous year, so for almost five months! That day he decided to leave, but I'm thankful because he left only once. I remained firm in the Lord, because He was holding me, I didn't cry, I didn't despair! Our God guided me and helped me in this humiliating hour that I never imagined I’d ever face.

How did God change your situation, Bethany, as you sought Him wholeheartedly? 

Since I found the site HopeAtLast.com, began reading the testimonies and then the RYM book, I started to see the mistakes I made in my life. That God was really calling me to become a better person, it wasn’t just about my marriage. The truth was everything irritated me, everything, however small, was capable of destabilizing me. Then I screamed, I fought, I argued ... I was really the epitome of a contentious woman that no one could take being around. 

 My EH (earthly husband) left home at the beginning of May, and before he left, he said emphatically "it's over for me, there's no going back."  

 What principles, from God's Word (or through our resources), Bethany, did the Lord teach you during this trial? 

I learned a lot by reading the book How God Can and Will Restore Your Marriage. I asked God to always strengthen my faith, I asked Him to show me what it was like to be content because I couldn't understand it! Friends, He put me in situations and made me feel content, I couldn't believe it! I thank Him so much for showing me what such contentment is!!! I started to sleep better and when I lay down I talked to Him and asked Him to hug me and take care of me while I sleep! When I wake up I say, "Good morning my Love" to Him and when I get out of bed I am talking to Him as I begin my day and all day long until I close my eyes at night.

The Lord said to have faith, be strong and have courage and trust Him, that only He could help me!! God lit my way!!! I love you my Darling from today to eternity!!!

What were the most difficult times that God helped you through, Bethany?

The most difficult times were when my EH (earthly husband) left home, and when he suddenly appeared back at home, and promptly when he left again. God always guided me and was always showing me what to do, to say, to write, to think. Showing me this was a spiritual battle only He could fight on my behalf and my job was to let Him do it and fall head over heels for Him. 

Bethany, what was the “turning point” of your restoration?  

When I started asking God to do His will and not mine, after reading a lot about Letting go, God gave me a sense of peace and I was able to wait on Him. I even asked Him if it wasn't His will to restore, then I would be happy, really happy. About a week before my birthday I felt led to ask Him that on my birthday I would not like to feel sad, that I wanted to celebrate just with Him. I told Him that if my EH felt only pity and not love for me, then please let him not remember my birthday. Then I said the craziest thing, I asked the Lord that if it was His will, I would very much like my marriage to be restored on my birthday. But when I was saying it and even afterward I didn’t want it restored. I was happier than I’d been in my life with just us two.

Tell us HOW it happened, Bethany? Did your husband just walk in the front door? Bethany, did you suspect or could you tell you were close to being restored? 

On my birthday, he texted early and he invited me to dinner! Wow, I was floored. I wondered what it was all about but because I was at work and I was happy, with a heart at peace, I just didn’t think about it anymore. That night we went to dinner, then he came home with me, and then asked if I would like to do something over the weekend. I said no, I’d rather not. Yes, my answer shocked me too! So then he asked me to go to his parent's house and I said I’d love to. We went together, and while we were alone, he apologized to me and hugged me! When we got home, he stayed and then the next morning he went to get his things from the place he was living! I couldn't believe it !! That was in May and it is now September!!! Forgive me everyone for not sharing my testimony sooner, forgive me Erin, but I kept doubting it was restored but how silly is that to think. 

Would you recommend any of our resources in particular that helped you, Bethany ?

The book How God Can and Will Restore, and the videos of Erin!! Erin gave me a lot of courage with her words of comfort! I am forever grateful, we both are! I did tell him about finding this ministry and he was in awe that anything like this could radically change someone so much as it changed me. I did tell him what I knew Erin would say, “it was God who changed me, they just gave me the roadmap to my journey.” I smile when I think of it now.

Would you be interested in helping encourage other women, Bethany? 

Yes

Either way, Bethany, what kind of encouragement would you like to leave women with, in conclusion?

Dear friend, have faith, believe that God and He alone can do this miracle! He fulfills our desires when we desire Him above all else and also that He does everything in His time, not ours. Everything you read here is in the Bible and it's true!!!!!!!!

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Find more understanding and to overcome the hurdles: #Contentious Woman and #Letting Go simply click on the #TAG linked to Restored Marriage Testimonies.

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