Chapter 2
A Vision Renewed
Both Bob and Sandy feel angry, hurt, and betrayed. This was not what they had anticipated. The honeymoon didn’t last nearly as long as they had dreamed it would. The promise of happiness and security and intimacy and mutual care is fading away in the hard realities of their marriage.
In spite of the number of unhappy relationships in the world, marriage still offers a “made in heaven” opportunity to discover the real meaning and richness of love. True, it will take a lot of work. But so does everything worthwhile. True, we’ll have to make sacrifices. But what we receive in personal dividends from a healthy relationship far outweighs the losses. True, current odds may be against it. But if we follow a few basic principles, the odds change dramatically in our favor.
It may seem that the best idea is to get out of a bad marriage before the bitterness and anger destroy you. But many hurting people have already discovered that as terrible as a loveless marriage is, an anger–filled divorce can’t put it all behind you. We need to see the possibilities of people who will put as much into marriage as they did into their dating relationship. We need to see husbands and wives filled with gratitude for being treasured despite all of their flaws and imperfections. We need to see the possibilities of two mature people who love each other deeply, not because of what they don’t know, but because they have learned the meaning of a love and a forgiveness that endures.
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