When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

-I Corinthians 13:11, NKJV

I was dangerously naive in my first marriage.

This was very apparent to me as I entered through the valley of divorce. The behavior I was observing just did not compute. Loved ones were NOT capable of such things–or so I naively thought.

I remember reading the classic book: The Psychopath Next Door by Martha Stout. It was an eye-opener to this trusting soul.

That is the thing about surviving adulterous betrayal and divorce:

We see and experience things that we cannot un-see.

This is good in some sense.

It is a maturing even though it is also a loss of innocence. I am not as trusting as I used to be. (This is good since I work in a prison these days.)

God used this awful experience to develop me into a someone who is able to work with mentally unstable and criminally minded individuals professionally.

You see, God never wastes anything.

Plus, God used this maturing process to develop me into a pastor who can help others experiencing such evil. Hence, this blog exists and continues to serve as a vital ministry to others trying to make sense of such wickedness.

 

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*A version of this post ran previously.