One Day at a Time

We are coming up on the five-year anniversary of my affair. Five years since we lost so much. Five years that we have been gone from the church we started and love. Five years of hard work. Five years of reshaping dreams. Five years of mercy and second chances.

In many ways it has been a long five years. In so many others, it has been the best five years of our lives and marriage. October 9 is a day that we used to dread. By God’s grace and redemption we will celebrate that date again this year.

I can remember sitting in a counseling session one afternoon. The pain of my choices, the guilt in my heart and the hurt I had inflicted on Trisha and our kids was so overwhelming, I didn’t know if I would ever recover. My counselor looked at me and said, “If you are willing, and if you will surrender, five years from now, you will be better for this.” There wasn’t one ounce of me that believed him.

So what is the supernatural formula? What is the magic pill? How can you get through what it is that you are going through and be better for it five years from now?

For someone reading this today, you just found out about your spouses affair. Someone else…you are buried under a pile of debt so large even bankruptcy seems insufficient.

Maybe your marriage has crumbled so much that you’ve lost all hope.

For someone reading this today, your addiction to pornography drives your choices, your marriage and your relationship with God. You are a slave.

Maybe you’ve made some horrible relationship choices and you feel guilty and alone and unworthy.

What if I told you that if you are willing; if you will surrender, five years from now, you will be better for this! Would you believe me?

How can you get there?

One. Day. At. A. Time.

There is no magic formula or fast track to healing and wholeness. It is a daily process that if you choose, will mold you and shape you into the man or woman God created you to be.

Each day that you feel overwhelming sadness and you take it to Jesus, he meets you there. Every day you wake up consumed with guilt, remember and live in the truth that you are offered grace.

Every day that you feel in bondage to your debt, Christ offers you freedom. Every day that you feel hopeless in your marriage, God offers to change you into more of the spouse he has in mind. Every day you feel like a slave to your addiction, you can choose courageous confession and transparency that will loosen its stranglehold around your heart. Every time your heart aches from a broken relationship, Christ offers to redeem that heartache and recreate your heart.

Will it be easy? No. At times, it will hurt like hell. Will you have to make tough choices and sacrifice? Everyday.

Will it be worth it? More than you can imagine.

If you are discouraged today…don’t give up. If you are ready to check out of your marriage, don’t stop fighting. If you are overwhelmed with guilt and shame, don’t discount grace. If you are ready to resign to your addiction, don’t underestimate the freedom God can bring.

Every minute, every hour, every day the choices you make matter. What you are going through now can be restored and redeemed to bring you wholeness and God glory.

One. Day. At. A. Time

Is there an area of your life that you need to live one day at a time?