14 Days of Strength in Any StruggleSample

The Greatest Ruining of My Life by Jami Nato

When I discovered my husband was having an affair, my whole world fell apart. But this was when I finally understood the gospel deep in my bones. Before my husband even showed remorse, I felt like God was asking me to forgive him. A Scripture passage I had written several months before glared at me from my chalkboard: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV.

While he was still engaging in wrongful behavior, God asked me to demonstrate the transformative power of God’s love to my husband. I can’t begin to tell you all the work God did while my husband and I were separated. It was like God kept the sun from setting just for my heart to supernaturally heal. I came out a forgiving machine, renewed, strong—I had been with God.

It needs to be said that forgiveness is an alone game, but reconciliation is a together game. I worked alone for a long time to get healthy and to believe God would take care of me and redeem my situation even though it might not mean staying married. I sat in the uncomfortable in-between and trusted God for the perfect timing.

One monotonously normal day, when I was standing at the door with a baby on my hip, I saw my husband walking down the street after not speaking to him for several weeks. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“You’re it for me. I don’t deserve to have you back, but you’re all I will pursue for the rest of my life. I will do whatever it takes to come home. If you can forgive me. If you’re willing.”

Our long healing journey has not been easy. But my marriage has been a tree producing a wonderful friendship with my husband, shade for those walking through marital hardship, two more children, and the most delightful fruit in my own heart. All because God let me walk through the most terrible and most gorgeous identity awakening of my life.

To Him be the glory.

But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ROMANS 5:8 ESV

Where are you finding God’s strength today?