friends both restored

Friends’ Marriages BOTH Restored!!

Two women, Marie and Vicki, met by Divine appointment at church one morning. While talking briefly, they found that both of their marriages were in major trouble. They exchanged phone numbers, and, thus, God answered each of their prayers for “someone to help them.” Both of them wanted their marriages, yet each of their husbands were trying to get out of their commitment. Both ladies were newly saved and both of their husbands would have nothing to do with church.

These women began going to a Wednesday night home group together. One evening a couple whose marriage had been restored through Restore Ministries just happened to visit this home group. Each woman shared her prayer request for marital help. One of the husbands was still at home but sleeping in another room and hadn’t spoken to his wife for almost four months. As the other woman began to share her request, she broke down weeping. Her husband was going to court in less than two weeks; he was divorcing her.

The restored couple just looked at one another and squeezed each other’s hands. They knew why the Lord had Providentially led them across town for the meeting that night. When they broke for prayer, the restored couple walked over to the woman whose husband was divorcing her and asked if they might pray for her. They shared that they had a restored marriage, that the Lord had obviously sent them there that night, and that God was going to turn the whole situation around. They finished by stating, “God won’t allow the divorce to go through.” As they spoke, tears ran down her face and dripped onto the floor. After they prayed, the three of them went over to the other woman to pray for her.

After prayer that night, all four of them sat on the couch visiting while the couple shared their entire testimony of how God restored their marriage. The entire home group listened in. Then the husband excused himself and went to the trunk of their car. He returned with two books and handed each of the women a Restore Your Marriage book.

More than a month had passed when the restored couple ran into the group leader of that home group and inquired about these two young women. He stated quite calmly that they were doing well and both of them were now attending church with their husbands! After recovering from the shock, the couple asked for details.

It seems that the husband of the woman who hadn’t spoken to her in four months, unexpectedly accepted an invitation to go to a potluck dinner at her home group when the leader called and got him on the phone! His wife, of course, was ecstatic when he told her. But when she called for directions it wasn’t that night! The group leader told her he had misunderstood; it wasn’t that night, but next week! Her heart sank. Then he proceeded to tell her to just “come on over anyway.” The couple did go and spent the evening just visiting with the group leader and his family. After the meal the group leader asked her husband if he wanted to take a little walk while the ladies cleaned up. While they were walking, the group leader said to her husband, “Son, the problems that you and your wife are having, well, everybody has them. You just have to work through the problems.” That is just what her husband needed to hear. That night things totally turned around for her and her husband.

For the other woman and her husband it was even more miraculous! Two weeks after she met the restored couple, she went to the courthouse for the divorce hearing. She had released her attorney, as the restored couple had told her that she had to, but because it was so close to the hearing, she was required to go to the hearing or be held in contempt of court.

The young woman sat nervously praying while she waited for their case to be called. She remembered the night the restored couple had prayed and what they had said: “God won’t allow the divorce to go through.” But here she was about to be called into court. Finally, as she heard their name called she leaped out of her chair. She trembled as she went into the judge’s chambers and sat down. Her husband’s attorney was there glaring at her. Her head felt like it was spinning as the attorney and judge spoke. Then she heard it: “Divorce granted”!! It felt like a knife pierced through her chest. But then, as the judge leaned over to write his name on the papers, he stopped. He said that his name was not on the papers and that he could NOT GRANT THEM THE DIVORCE!

This woman thought she was dreaming. Had he said what she thought he said? All three of them got up and walked out. This woman’s husband and his attorney stood together talking while she leaned against the wall still in shock at what had just happened. The attorney told her husband that he would have to start all over by filing again. Extremely upset, her husband rushed over and grabbed her hand and stomped out.

Two nights later the same group leader called and invited her husband to their home group meeting that night. He accepted!! That evening in the kitchen her husband told the group leader what had transpired two days earlier. He responded by saying, “You know, God hates divorce. And what you experienced was the hand of God stopping you, son. Do you know His Son, Jesus Christ?” Her husband later said that he experienced “the fear of the Lord” that night — he got saved right there and then! Nothing is impossible with God. That means NOT A THING! So if your situation seems hopeless, the Lord has a plan. He is never late. If your divorce is still headed for court, don’t despair; instead trust Him, believe Him. If we trust Him, cease striving, wait for Him, and hope against hope, then all things will work together for our good, if we love Him and are called according to His purpose, not our own!

~ Marie and Vicki in Florida, both RESTORED