So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. – Job 42:12-13, NLT
Today is an important day for me. Or should I say, it was an important day? I am not quite sure the emotions are mixed on this one. It would have been my eighth wedding anniversary. What was once a day for rejoicing is now a day of grief for me. Perhaps some of you, my readers, can relate?
On the joyful side today, I am reminded of all the gifts God has given me by setting me free from my adulterous former wife. Because I was set free, I was able to marry someone worthy of my trust. Now, I have an amazing, loyal and loving wife, Mrs. DM, who from the very day I proposed to her was more interested in me than the things or status I could give her. I was and am her prize. And God gave me a daughter through her. My heart’s desire was to be a father, and God has restored that dream through my beautiful bride. This amazing little girl is the joy of our lives. She is so full of energy and has the spunk of her mother written all over her mischevious, little princess face. I love her so much! And finally, God has prospered me in my career preserving my calling as a priest after years of drought and discouragement after pursuing that call.
So, while I do grieve the ending of my first marriage today, I am more reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness to me. I can relate to Job. Maybe in some ways you can, too?
Like Job, I endured my fair share of people–“friends”–falsely claiming that I must have in some way caused the ending of my first marriage. The Eliphazes, Bildads, and Zophars seem to multiply at such times of calamity.
And like Job, I cried out many a night asking God “Why?!!”
Like Job, I didn’t get much of an answer to my why questions. But I did receive reminders of God’s faithfulness and love through my family and true friends who provided their tears, hugs, prayers, and more.
And finally, like Job, God brought me to a spacious place and blessed me richly with a family, career, and good health. He restored to me what the Destroyer had taken and added more.
While today’s quote is from that season of blessing in Job’s life after his trial, it strikes me as poignant in what it does not say. I wonder how he felt looking back over those dark days in his later years. Did he still grieve the loss of his first ten children? Did he still wonder why God put him through such a painful trial? I don’t know. But if I was a betting man, I would bet his emotions were mixed even in his prosperous life afterwards.
Yet what I take away from Job’s experience is that God redeems our suffering: Job wrote a book. And I am so glad he did. It has stood as a testimony for generations seeking to understand God and suffering.
And it reminds us today that even the worst pain is not outside God’s power to redeem.
God Bless you all. Thank you for sharing your courageous path to move forward and the richness of The Lord s blessings through Mrs DM and your daughter. It rings with hope. Your reflections back have resonance. It is the journey that reminds us of our dependence on Him for everything and then perhaps helps us to appreciate what The Lord has provided us with in the end.
Bless you, your wife and your precious little girl. This post is so full of hope . Thank you.
Thank you so much for your post. I started to cry when I read it and saw picture of you and your beatifull girl.
My anniversary is coming up in several days. This was supposed to be an 11 year anniversary of my marriage. Several months before a 10 year anniversary I was told that my ex was never happy in our marriage and there is someone else. I was hoping for a
Nice ring:))
I too spent many nights asking why. We had one toddler and I was pregnant with another baby. This didn’t stop him. In fact he packed his clothes and left telling me he will consider working on our marriage if I do an abortion. I didn’t.
I have 2 kids under 2 now. I had no idea how I was going to do it. I was a non believer.
On a day I gave birth to my son I was watching tv and turned to a Christian Chanel. For some strange reason the pastor was speaking to single mothers. The moment I turned it on the pastor looked me in the eyes and told: I now want to speak to single
Mothers. I know you often think why and how you will be able to do it. But I want you to know that God is with you and if he takes anything away from you he will give you more.
I starred at that tv and started to cry. I gave an easy birth to my son in couple hours after that. Somehow everything is coming together. My mom is able to come to stay with me and helps me. I know we will be fine.
Mommy- I didn’t go through a divorce but I was a single mom for 3 years. I never knew what having a man actually present was until I married DM a few months ago. I understand your whys. I understand the struggles. I don’t know about you, but I was really angry at God, at myself. I wanted to be a mother but not the way I got it. I didn’t want to be pregnant but I also knew it was my own doing. The weekend I found out the sermon happened to be on the value of children. That was the hardest sermon to sit through. I just remember thinking “seriously God? Are you frickin’ serious?!” I would have preferred to hear the sermon you tuned into, at least it might have encouraged me more in accepting the journey of a single mother since I had cancelled the abortion appointment. I moved back in with my parents a couple months before my daughter was born and if it weren’t for them supporting me I’m not sure where we would have ended up. I’m glad you have your mother to support you. I’m also very glad that that pastor actually addressed single parents. That doesn’t happen as much as it should. I started a single parent group at my church to address a need that I was sure had to be there. I knew I couldn’t be the only single parent coming, there had to be someone else. We’re a small group but I was right, there were others, even if I didn’t see them by looking/asking around, and more are joining us.
When I was about 8 months pregnant I went to an IHOP conference that was here in the Twin Cities and my friend prayed over me and my daughter. She said she felt like God was saying my daughter would be the key to my dreams, that my dreams weren’t dead. I sure felt like they were dead, everything changed, I couldn’t get past all the dreams I had that I would never see realized. It took a while but last summer it really hit me that that prayer/prophesy came true. Being a mother has been the cornerstone of my career in working with other parents and their kids. I don’t think I’d have the career that I do if I weren’t a parent myself. Having been a single parent I know better how to empathize with the ones I come across, I see them. It took becoming a single parent to shatter the “holier than thou,” damaging, inaccurate attitude that I had held. My dreams took on a vastly different form than I would have thought. But I realized God pulled through, blessed us with a great support system, set a new career path in front of me, I finished an MA while working full time as a single parent, I ran my first marathon shortly after that, I built up my ability to set healthy boundaries and eventually met DM.
The Lord does indeed give you more than you thought was possible. You are MIGHTY mommy.
Mommy of two,
Thank you for your testimony and your kind words. I remarked to Mrs.DM how your ex-husband’s demand to abort your second child brings a new level of evil to his sins. So sick. I am sorry you experienced that. Glad to hear you have your mother’s support (thank, God, for supportive family!) and glad to hear things are looking up for you.
Blessing upon you and may you find good heart-fellowship when your anniversary does roll around–whether to cry or rejoice or whatever your heart needs!
DM