[bookwrmmom]

There may already be a topic of this nature and if so please combine them. I get various emails, and things of this nature daily and some of them I really think are worth sharing. This is one of them, and although the message is to women I KNOW that it also applies to men. Now even if your sitch is past the point of no return, please make sure you take the point of this message to heart. There are SO many points in this message that I have learned here, and this just confirms what this forum has taught me.

When You Husband Has Given Up
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV)

Lysa TerKeurst

I know the heart-ripping hopelessness of a relationship unraveling.

The silence. The rejection. The harsh words. The absence of intimacy. The questions. The lack of answers. The hurt.

The first five years of my marriage were really hard. Two sinners coming together with loads of baggage, unrealistic expectations and extremely strong wills.

My heart aches for anyone in a marriage that’s struggling. Many of us have been there.

But I think the deepest hurt comes when one spouse resigns while the other is still trying. There is a panic that arises to somehow make the other person wake up, stop their resignation and help you fix this relationship.

A situation like this is much more complicated than simple answers I could offer here. But might I give you one stepping stone upon which to stand, to stop the panic and balance yourself?

Decide today that you are worthy.

Because you are. Worthy. You may not feel like it. But a quick glimpse at Psalm 139 assures me, you are. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by a loving God who cares for you. Who loves you. And I’d rather depend on the solid truth of God than the rollercoaster of fickle feelings.

You are beautiful and captivating and attractive and smart and capable. But if you are in a relationship full of unmet expectations, unresolved issues and frustrating communication, I suspect you feel a little less than all I’ve described.

Broken-down relationships can really break down a woman.

And if you’re anything like me, when you feel broken down, those around you get your worst. Then upon all the hurt and anxiety you layer regret, shame and the feeling that you’ve lost yourself. You’ve lost that girl inside who used to be so positive and happy and ready to take on the world.

Can I whisper a tender truth to you? The only way to recapture her is to come up for air and remember: You are worthy because the Creator of the Universe says you are.

Then you can act worthy.

And step aside from the emotional yuck to make some levelheaded decisions. Get a plan. Talk to wise people who love you, provide godly counsel and will walk this tough journey with you.

Draw some boundaries with your husband, if some are needed.

Pray like crazy for clear discernment. Because Jesus is the best source of help.

Honest cries for help, lifted up to Jesus, will not go unheard. He sees. He knows. He loves. And Jesus will direct you as long as you stick with Him.

Remember, you can’t control how your husband acts and reacts, but you can control how you act and react.

Reclaim who you are.

I pray your relationship survives. I pray it with every fiber of my being. But if it doesn’t, I pray most of all that the beautiful woman you are rises above all the yuck, still clinging tightly to the only opinion that matters — the One who forever calls you worthy.

Dear Lord, my marriage is struggling. I’m struggling. Help me please. I need to hold on to Your truths that I am worthy. And God, please show me what steps to take to support my marriage. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
- See more at: http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/when-your-husband-has-given-up/#sthash.F3Y4DGUU.dpuf

[riverbirch]

 

[bookwrmmom]

http://harvesthousepublishers.com/book/broken-into-beautiful-2008/

This book was shared with me on Facebook, and I have purchased it and started reading it. What we have all been through, be it man or woman can take a toll on your confidence. The author will be at my church for our yearly women's conference this year & I am looking forward to hearing her speak.

Last year's conference speaker was also someone who really touched my heart and her book is one I have purchased. Suzy Eller was hilarious and her book/story really came at a time when I needed them. Now my concentration has SUCKED big time since BD as far as reading a whole book. However I can tell you that I have read about half of The Unburdened Heart and it is a very good book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15807217-the-unburdened-heart

Hope these will help someone!

[bookwrmmom]

I just read this quote, and I think it is worth sharing.

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive.”

― James Baldwin

[bookwrmmom]

And this:

“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.”
― James Baldwin