How Do You Know When God Has Redeemed Your Story?
This year my husband and I celebrated 17 years of marriage. Most of them have been happy. The few that haven’t been happy… have made our marriage counselor’s bank account happy.
We’ve prayed and cried, worked and played, fought the world together and won or lost together. It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been an anchor in the storm.
In the past decade and a half, God has blessed us beyond anything I could have imagined on our wedding day — the day we vowed to love, honor, and cherish so long as we both shall live. As a single mother and college student scratching and clawing just to stay afloat after a divorce, I’d barely had any time to deal with my brokenness.
Doug was in much the same condition. He and I met each other in the bottom of a garbage pit, where we decided to climb out hand-in-hand.
We fought outside pressure, we fought inside pressure, and sometimes we fought with each other. We had to shed our own junk and help the other shed their junk.
Two broken people don’t make a whole couple. It took learning to trust and follow Jesus to seal the gashes and cleanse out all the gunk.
The beautiful life we now share can’t be merely the result of hard work. I look back over the years and see that God blessed us in spite of our efforts at times and supernaturally multiplied our efforts at others. God’s gift to us was a whole lot more grace and mercy than we deserved.
This June, when I posted my yearly anniversary post on Facebook, I was taken aback by one of my longtime friend’s comment. She said, “A beautiful example of ashes into a field full of flowers! You two are a lovely picture of covenant marriage.”
I had forgotten all about the ashes.
I needed a reminder not to take the beauty for granted.
God had sealed the wounds, both self-inflicted and other-inflicted, and redeemed that chapter in my story. No doubt there are other chapters He has yet to redeem.
So how do you know when your story has been redeemed?
When you’ve forgotten the rotten stuff. The ugly words and hurt feelings.
When you’ve stopped counting the losses and started counting your blessings.
It takes time and it takes a whole lot of surrender, but it’s so worth it.
In the weeks to come, I want to share with you more stories that God has redeemed.
Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story — those he redeemed from the hand of the foe ~Psalm 107:2
The Conversation
How beautifully and honestly told. Redemption is such a blessing.
Thank you for sharing. Love and Hugs to you both.
Thank you, Rose! Much love to you!
Thanks for sharing, Lynette. God truly does make beauty from our ashes.
Yes, that’s a truth we can cling to! Thanks for reading, Peggy.
Well put. Thank you for sharing one of His redemption stories.
Thank you for reading, Tiffany!
Thank you for reading, Tiffany! I appreciate your kind comments.
Lyneta, I so needed this today. God has used you and your story to answer my prayer and give me strength and hope.
I’m so glad, Fran! May God continue to give you strength and hope.
Thanks so much for being honest about your marriage. I appreciate you.
Thank you for reading, Mary Lou!
What a beautiful story of healing and hope. Congratulations to you both!
Thank you, Michelle!
Luneta, thanks for this. Beautiful story. God’s timing is usually not ours, so it’s a good reminder that many things require commitment to weather the storms while we’re waiting to see “results”.
Thank you for reading, Kimberly!
Thank you for honestly sharing your story, Lyneta. What a powerful example of how God heals! When I notice that I’m more concerned about what God sees than what people think, I realize He’s transforming me from people pleasing to God pleasing. Not that I don’t still struggle sometimes….
Jeannie, I appreciate you reading. I struggle with people pleasing too, at times. But God’s transformation is powerful!
You touched my soul today. Thank you.
I appreciate you reading, Lora!
Today is a day of tears with unknown reasons. I so wish I knew someone like you. I wish I was becoming someone like you.
Thank you.
Diane, I pray that God would comfort you and give you peace that He’s redeeming your story.