Healing Hope Newsletter
July, 2010
http://www.marionduckworthministries.com
http://www.healinghopeonline.com
Dear Ones,
Dorothy* has been through the fire. Like Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, however, God met her there.
Growing up, although she knew that her mother loved her, she also knew that her mother was fragile. “She hit the wall several times during my childhood. I felt as though I could never bother her. So I learned early on that the deep things had to be taken to the Lord.”
Dorothy married a man whom, she later learned, was restless—perhaps due to the fact that his biological family moved frequently. “Gerald also had a desire to be free of accountability.” She tried to adjust to his lifestyle. Much later, however, she realized that he made decisions based on what was good for him, never considering her. “He abandoned me emotionally from the beginning of our marriage.
“We served with a Christian organization for ten years. When he decided to go to China to live and work, he expected me to wait for him to come back.” But Dorothy also knew that he was seeing another woman. Gerald decided to remain in China so they agreed to get a divorce. God showed her very clearly that she needed to give him over to God.
“My grown children had families of their own. My parents were elderly. My friends helped me, but no one except the Lord knew how alone I felt. He became my stability.”
Although Dorothy was born again when she was twenty-one, she realized that she’d been defining her life by her relationships. “God wanted me to define myself as His child.” Until then, she says she was always “doing”; now she settled into ‘being’.” As result of spending hours in fellowship with God and in His Word, she realized that He was her husband.
“My whole life was about to be recreated.” Alone the next two years, she learned to rest in the Lord and His care and not stress over the future. “I tried to accomplish one thing a day and feel good about it. I ate nourishing food, walked, read, exercised--very practical things to do when one is under stress. I tried to find out who I was apart from being someone’s daughter, sister, mother—and especially wife. I asked God to show me who he wanted me to be in this next phase of my life.”
She also chose carefully the people with whom she spent much time, maintained an eternal perspective and an “open hands” attitude with God. “He cannot place things in a tight fist—only in hands that are open wide.”
Two years ago, Dorothy remarried. “I felt loved and cherished from the beginning. When I let Wes down, he doesn’t go into a fit of rage.” She says they laugh a lot. They study the Bible together. They pray together for family, friends and acquaintances. “We celebrate victories. We simply enjoy one another’s company. I didn’t experience any of these things with my first husband. He mostly liked doing things alone. He was impatient in prayer and didn’t want to discuss the scriptures.”
Dorothy says that just when she thinks she’s been healed of her abandonment wounds, a situation arises that causes old feelings to surface. “I share them with Wes and he reassures me of his love.” When she meditates on Scripture, she is reminded that God loves her everlastingly and unconditionally.
Jesus’ words before He went to the cross have become a key principle in her life. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide in me” (John 15:4).
“I learned from this scripture that I need to constantly rely on His wisdom, strength and power in order to glorify Him through my trials.”
“I have been through the fire! God did meet me there! “I am acceptable because of Jesus. I don’t have to earn his love. He is my constant companion. Whatever losses I experience in life, He will be by my side.”
Blessings,
Marion
http://www.marionduckworthministries.om
http://www.healinghopeonline.com
*Names have been changed
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