It all started on January 31, 2006, that day God found me and grabbed me, He pulled me out of the not-quite-right life I had lived in until then. My marriage was in crisis. After 10 years of acquaintance, 4 years of marriage, my husband announced that he wanted to divorce. The worst part was that he was dead serious. He said all this on a rainy, cold evening in February, not even the weather conditions were adequate for such an announcement. What could I say? I completely collapsed. I cried, stalked, begged, raged. I wished I could die, that would be easier. I felt so small and alone. That’s how I grieved in our kitchen that rainy February evening.
There, in my pain, in my bitterness, in my shame, God spoke to me. He promised to help. Like those whose tears have been wiped away, I cried no more because I understood that it was the will of the Lord, He wanted to lead me through this narrow, bumpy road to change, and He promised me help that if I kept with Him, He would never leave. I was relieved, I didn’t cry anymore, everything became clear, and like someone with a glazed coat falling off, my soul became free too, because I knew I could do it with God’s help, I could do anything if He was with me.
The next day I went to the first homegroup meeting of my life. I didn’t even know what the homegroup would be there and what I had to do, I just knew I had to go, there was my place. I knew that God had sent me help in these people I could turn to at any time because they were always ready to love and help. And that week I also went to the first church worship service of my life. This is how I got to know the church and became involved in church life, and so I got closer and closer to God.
Of course, not everything went as wanted. My husband went to a lawyer, filed for divorce, put up a “For Sale” sign on our beautiful house, which we had built together, while I learned that there is a “third” in our lives. But I just clung more and more to God and trusted myself, my destiny, my future, to Him because I knew He had a wonderful plan for my life. I knew God could even do a miracle at the last minute, and He did.
There is usually a point in divorce hearings when the judge tries to reconcile the parties. We had the fairest, most loving judge (God), because I am proud to announce to everyone that reconciliation has led to results!!! In today’s world, only one in 1,000 divorce proceedings ends with the parties reconciling. That was our case.
Well, isn’t God wonderful? And today I can say that our marriage is in order, we are still raising our little girl together, the “For Sale” sign has been removed from our house, and the divorce file has been added to the archives! That’s how I got a new life, a new marriage, a new goal, and lots and lots of new brothers and sisters in Christ! –Lívia