"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." J10:10
Years ago when my spouse left me, I thought that I would never experience joy again unless my spouse came back... My spouse left me just before December and it was an incredibly sad time for me. I thought that all my joy depended on him, but I was so wrong.
Please read these beautiful passages from Finding The Abundant Life, Chapter 1 "What is the Abundant Life"
He is precious—everything else is worthless!
The abundant life is one that is surrendered. Surrendered to all the wants that we think will make us happy and all the control that we think we need to have on our lives (and the lives of all the people around us).
It took me years to realize that anything else is truly worthless. I received a restored marriage, but I was still not happy, because my Darling Lord was the Only One Who could really fulfill me and give me the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Precious lady I want to encourage you to find all your happiness and joy in our precious Beloved Lord and then watch Him change your whole life (and I say again that this does not mean at all that the Lord does not want to restore your marriage because I believe with all my heart that our precious Beloved Lord has a heart for marriages, but I want to encourage you to surrender your will and wants over to Him, because He knows what He is doing.)
l remember my 1st Christmas alone with my daughter who was only 5 at the time. My landlady invited us over for Christmas and had gifts for us. l will always look back on that time as the time He had me lay down a good biblical foundation because l was working thru the courses on Hopeatlast.com and because l had so much time in my hands because my family lived far away, l was “You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out”. Pa88:8-9 https://biblehub.com/psalms/88-8.htm.
True happiness came when l started digging into FAL and started longing for Him to become my HH. Many years have gone by but HE still remains the love of my life! only He truly understands me and loves me completely with all my faults and weaknesses. Yes l agree with you He does restore he restored my marriage but a restored marriage was not what made me truly happy because even after restoration l went thru a lot of struggles… it was only in Living my life abundantly as a bride that l found true lasting happiness 💖
Wow thank you for sharing your beautiful testimony prexious Atarah. I know precisely what you are talking about, only He really truly understands me and accepts me with my many flaws and mistakses and for years I longed that somebody will just understand me, because I am not easy to understand, but all the time He was there waiting for me.
A Telegram message sent from an alumni:
#RESTOREDunFULFILLED
When I read Janine‘s blog post, it brought me back to remembering when I had the same feelings about never been happy again unless and until GOD restored my marriage. As a matter of fact, I never imagined the excruciating pain I was experiencing could be healed without having our family back together again. I have never been so wrong.
When God restored my marriage after a divorce and my husband planning to remarry the OW, I distinctly remember calling my ePartner on the phone, crying, desperate, sitting on the stairs, telling her how much I “wanted out.” She was an older wise woman, and we had studied the workbook together. She also had a restored marriage, so she assured me it would get better.
Well, she was right it did get better, but it fell short of the life that I had prior to my restored marriage. Daydreaming and laying awake at night, dreaming and longing for those days when I was my heavenly Husband‘s bride, and being “His alone” was my “happy place” and I would long for this life more and more. During these dark periods, I thought back of how foolish I was to not appreciate this time I had, but used my energy to obsess about having that coveted RESTORED marriage. This is why I have taken the time to post my own regrets to encourage all of you who believe the lie that a restored marriage is the ultimate goal.
Dear friends, Who you have now, Him, or if you don’t have yet, is the Man who will treat you like you’ve never Dreamed. The peacefulness, the comfort, the joy, the living life to the fullest, is only available to HIS bride.
Yes, you can have both, but it is very hard when you have an earthly husband. Please don’t misunderstand that I am or any of us longtime RMI Members and Partners are not thrilled when we hear of a restored marriage. I am and I believe I can claim this for all of us as well, that Atarah’s title “It was better for me then than now” sums up how we all feel. Hopefully, many of you who have experienced a restored marriage will write your own short but powerful testimony so that the woman who are putting all their energy and thoughts and dreams into obtaining (the often elusive) restoration will stop and give that completely to God to restore (if it’s HIS plan as it often is) so that you are free to enjoy becoming and experiencing being HIS bride to living the abundant life.
This is so beautiful!
I too was so foolish to not appreciate the time I had with my Darling, I waisted so much time yearning for a restored marriage, making it an obsession, that I lost track of what really mattered and that was and is still our Darling Lord.
I was so scared to totally give over, because what if I don’t receive a restored marriage, so what did I actually do, I chose marriage restoration above anything else and lost so much more… I always felt that nobody understands me, but the best part now is, my Darling understands me, so it doesn’t matter anymore if nobody understands me.
I always said and thought I won’t make it again if my spouse were to leave me again and he did leave me, but I made it and can I add for me now IT IS BETTER NOW THAN THEN because HE IS MY ONE AND ONLY. I always thought there is no way you can live a fulfilled life without your spouse – well I am living that fulfilled life that I thought is only possible with a spouse and the best part is, my Darling understands me (and that after trying years and years that my spouse will understand me, which I think never happened, but now it doesn’t matter because I make sense to my One and Only, He totally understands me).
Dear precious women don’t miss out on a fulfilled life with our Darling Lord and believe me the rest will fall into place as long as you are walking the walk hand in hand with our Darling Lord.
LAdies thank you sooooooo much for sharing every single one of your testimonies were uplifting and I could just feel He talking to me. I also used to feel that I wasnt completely happy without my spouse. although I know he wasnt my source i felt like I still needed him in some way. Praise be to God that I can now say My Lord is my happiness. He is all for me.