Advice From One Newly Married Wife to AnotherSample

God’s Healing Power in Your Life

We all come into marriage with a past: things that were done to us and things we did to others. Both areas need God’s healing power in your marriage and both take intentional time and spiritual growth.

In the past, men have belittled, taken advantage of, and made fun of me, so safety in relationships has been a delicate and tedious struggle.

Picture a garden (I imagine Boston Public Garden) with an iron gate separating it from the outside world. The garden is full of my past, present, and future; the healing (new flowers) that God is doing in my life, pretty benches resting in all seasons of life. Early in marriage, I often had that iron gate closed to Perry. I didn’t want to include him in all the hard work of healing that I was experiencing in counseling. I let my fear shut him out.

Yet when I finally did open the gate to Perry, inviting him into the garden to see what God was restoring from my past, it brought connection and trust.

As I have seen God prove to be worthy of my trust and a healer of my pain, He has also shown me I can trust my husband. Perry has proven his trustworthiness with things like finances, large purchases, home repairs, etc. But I have also seen my trust grow stronger by letting him see my emotions, failures, and doubts. All of this trust stems from me taking those steps toward trusting God with all aspects of my life.

While I still sometimes have to fight the urge to run away or “shut the gate,” I see God’s healing power in my life, reminding me of His presence and the safety found in Perry.

Psalm 147:3 reads, “He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” When I picture God binding up my wounds, I think of Him carefully placing a hand on every area of my life that needs compassion, gentleness, and attention. God is writing a story in your life and in your marriage too, one that might need healing, attention, and compassion.

What scares you the most when you think of letting Him into those parts of your life? Today, ask God what areas He wants to heal in your life, from your past and in your marriage. Journal down those thoughts, and if appropriate, share them with your spouse.