Today we have Aimee Imbeau who blogs at A Work of Grace with us sharing a guest post and hosting Wedded Wednesday while I am on vacation. I hope you’ll welcome her with oodles of comments and encouragement! 😉

I was devastated by his careless words spoken the night before as I walked out my door, bag in hand. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. This was not my fairytale happy life that Hollywood displayed in their movies. This was not written in any of the romance novels I had read in my young life. No. But this was the day I walked out on my husband.

Trouble Is Brewing

We were barely into our first year of marriage when I noticed something wasn’t quite right between us. He seemed very distant and cold. I asked him what was going on. I was terrified. And this is what he said:

“I love you, but I’m not in love with you.”

WHAT?!?! What is the difference? What are you talking about? I didn’t know what to think. I was heart-broken and so very, very confused.

What had I done?

The following day, when he was at work, I packed some of my belongings and went to a friend’s house for the night, uncertain of what the next day would hold for me…for my marriage.

I didn’t sleep well that night and I had no idea if Marcus even knew where I was…or if he even cared.

I went to my parent’s house after that. I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I remember sitting outside with the sun warming my face. All of a sudden, I felt this incredible urge to return home.

I heard God speak to my heart, “This is no longer your home. Your home is with your husband.”

I obeyed.

Homeward Bound

It was Marcus’ day off, so I wasn’t sure what would be waiting for me at home. I imagined the worst – I have a pretty crazy imagination. Thoughts of strange women being in my home floated through my mind. “Maybe he had a party because I was gone.” The horrible thoughts continued to flood my mind.

I pulled into the driveway…his car was gone. Again, my imagination went wild. “He went out last night to party and never came home…who knows where he is! Or who he is with!”

I unlocked the front door and entered my empty home. What I saw was evidence of what had happened the night before. The coffee table was heaped with used Kleenex and our wedding video was in the VCR. He had been crying while watching our wedding video. That was promising.

I called people I knew to see if they knew where he was. I called his mom. She wasn’t home, so I left a message.

Finally, he called me. He said he was coming home. I asked him for how long.

He said ‘FOREVER’.

Relief washed over me. I knew it was going to be ok.

The Good Stuff

If you knew Marcus and me only now, you would never guess that we walked through something like that. You’d never know the rocky times we endured afterwards. You would not have seen the hurt I forgave him for or the pain I caused him where he washed me with mercy. All you’d see is the ‘good stuff’.

[Tweet “A healthy, strong marriage doesn’t just happen. #persevere”]

It is the fruit of a couple who didn’t give up when they could have. It is the fruit of returning home when I wanted to run far away. It is the fruit of extending grace, mercy and forgiveness many, many times and not keeping track of that number.

It is the fruit of making God the center of the marriage instead of me…or my spouse.

A good marriage doesn’t happen because life is full of bliss and fairytales.

[Tweet “A good marriage grows out of difficult times that are worked through. #trustGod”]

If you are going through a complicated season in your marriage, don’t lose hope. Use it to strengthen your marriage and build up your faith and trust in the Lord.

Then wait for the ‘good stuff’.

Aimee is a home educating support teacher who lives in the sunny Okanagan, BC. Aimee has been blissfully married for 17 years and still swoons at the sight of her tall, dark and handsome husband, Marcus. When she isn’t home educating her 3 kids, she enjoys sewing, quilting, scrapbooking and hanging out with her family. She blogs over at A Work of Grace. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

 

[Tweet “Join us for another Wedded Wednesday Linkup @ Messy Marriage! #Christianencouragement”]

 

In what ways can you relate to Aimee’s messy marriage moments?

 

In what ways can you relate to her story of God’s redemption in your own life and/or marriage?

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