Blog : My Testamony Part Eleven

My Testamony Part Eleven

11/23/2006 7:15 pm

Last Read:
11/23/2006 9:03 pm

To read My Testamoy from the beginning please go to My Testamony and click on the links there.

Disclaimer:
I want first of all to let everyone know that what I am about to reveal is not because I am living in the past or because I am holding on to it. I am not still wearing my grave clothes, so to speak.

A testamony is simply speaking the truth of what God has done in one's life, personal experience of His love, grace, power, glory. For a biblical example of a testamony please see Acts 26:1-23

My marriage to Mike lasted just under 9 years. Shortly after we married I began taking classes to become a Catholic and when the baby was born in December of 1975, we had him christened in the Catholic Church. But try as I might, I could not reconcile the things I knew of the Lord with the things that the Catholic Church taught. I finally confronted the priest that I was going to for classes one day, quoting him scripture to show where what he was teaching me was directly opposed to the word. When we got back home I told Mike that I was sorry and that if he wanted to divorce me for not keeping my promise I would understand. But I couldn’t become a Catholic.

Mike just looked at me in shock and asked me where I had learned all the things I had told the priest. I told him that I had learned it in the Bible. The blood drained from his face as he asked me in amazement, “YOU READ THE BIBLE????” I told him that of course I read the Bible, didn’t he? He told me that they weren’t allowed to read the Bible because they didn’t have the gift of interpretation unless they were called to be priest’s and trained to understand what the Bible said. I couldn’t believe my ears and showed him Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. I also showed him other verses in the Bible where it showed that every man must have a one on one relationship with God and that Jesus was our advocate.

We started attending other churches and settled at the Baptist Mission Church in the town there where the base was located. Mike got saved, praise the Lord, and we were happy for the most part, but unfortunately, the abusive behavior did not cease but in some ways actually became worse. For now he became the “head of the household” as so many men do who are Christians or claim to be, and I and the children we ruled with an iron fist. “Wives submit” became one of his favorite verses and I heard it regularly, and if I didn’t submit willingly then I was forced into submission (also known as marital rape) or beaten into submission depending on the circumstances of his demands. Our daughter was born in August of 1977.

After a little over 3 years in Japan and another tour in the states Mike got orders to go to England. The thought of being half way around the world again, away from everything I knew, my family and his, was just more than I could bear. I had stayed with him in hopes that he would mature and grow out of his wrong thinking and behavior but it just hadn’t happened. I couldn’t bring myself to go back overseas with my children with things as they were. So I packed the kids and I up and came home to Texas.

Mike got an extension in the states and ended up remaining for about another year before going to Italy. The kids and I moved back home with him but it just wasn’t working out. Just before he was due to leave, his dad had to have triple by-pass surgery and there was no one to take care of him and Mike’s mom, who didn’t drive. So when Mike left for Italy, the kids and I moved in with my in-laws so that I could take care of dad and mom. After dad recovered completely, I moved into an apartment of my own in the next town, settled in and filed for a divorce. But I had to wait until Mike came home on leave before we could go to court. Our divorce became final on February 29, 1984.

Today, Mike and I are on good terms. He is a minister in the state of New York. He remained single for a good many years, dedicating himself to his work in the military and to drawing closer to the Lord, studying His word, maturing in his walk. He is now remarried with two more beautiful children.
I know in my heart that God is with Mike and is a blessing through him to others. There are times when I am seeking understanding of scripture and I will contact him because I know that he has studied extensively and has a good deal of knowledge of the original Hebrew and Greek. He is my friend and he is my brother!

Ephesians 6:13 . . .and having done all, to stand

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