What She Read On the
Beach
God also bearing them
witness,
both with signs and
wonders,
and with divers
miracles,
and gifts of the Holy
Ghost, according to his own will. . . .
— Hebrews 2:4
I have this neat friend who tells an
amazing story that may be a comfort to others who get divorced, and then wonder
if they did The Right Thing.
The Bible says divorce is only OK if
adultery is involved. Even then, you're supposed to do everything you can to
save your marriage.
Well, years ago, my friend was the
mother of four, with a big problem. She was terribly unhappy. She agonized
about getting divorced.
She was only a teenager when she got
married. Because her own home had been dysfunctional, she'd had very little
guidance and didn't communicate well. Deeply despairing, she numbed herself,
drowning her emotions in unhealthy ways. There was no adultery involved. But
the marriage wasn't working, and neither of them seemed to be able to change
that. She wasn't sure she should keep trying, but couldn't make herself end it,
either. If there's no love, isn't there Biblical grounds for divorce?
Finally, her husband chartered a
sailboat down in the Caribbean. He had a pretty good idea how she felt. This
was their chance to get away, once and for all, and make some decisions.
There was a skipper and his wife. The
four of them enjoyed the azure skies, white sands and crystal waters. One
afternoon, they looked up and started discussing cloud shapes.
Suddenly, my friend experienced what
they call "hyperfocus." She was mesmerized by the surrealistic images she saw
in the clouds.
She saw a basket, and out of it came
a genie. The genie turned into a snake. Gradually, the snake turned into a dove
of peace with an olive branch in his mouth.
She swears she wasn't going crazy
and there were no drugs or alcohol involved. All four agreed that those were
the shapes they were seeing.
She thought, but didn't say, that it
was a "storyboard" for her marriage.
When she got married, she thought it
would be the "magic" that would make her happy. But she was wrong - and she had
married the wrong person. There was fear in her marriage, and deception, and
mistrust . . . like the snake.
But the dove in the clouds was a
sign of peace. She was struck powerfully by the thought that everything was
going to be OK.
She didn't say a word about any of
this.
But when her husband stood up, he
fell right back down.
He stood up again, and fell right
back down again.
She, too, was floored - literally.
"It was as if the energy and life
had been sucked right out of him," she said. "He was realizing that he couldn't
be who he wanted to be."
Next morning, he threw his wedding
ring over the side. Again, no one said a word.
She crawled up to the top of the boat
and dove off into the shimmering, clear water. She saw that the coral formed a
distinct shape:
A cross.
Her heart nearly burst at what it
represented:
Forgiveness.
Understanding.
Peace.
She saw a glimmer down on the
bottom, and dove to investigate. It was a gold necklace, stamped "Italy." A piece
of treasure, there for her especially to find.
A gift - another sign - that she was
God's treasure. Though her future was hidden from her now, He would make sure
she discovered it, and ultimately was blessed.
The real treasure was the reminder
that, with God, there is liberty and grace for us, no matter what. Of course He
doesn't want us to break our marriage vows. But if it comes down to sink or
swim, if we've tried our very best and still can't make it work, He doesn't
want us to sink.
He wants us to swim.
She took that risk. She got that
divorce. She dove back in to life.
Now, she says, "I never would have
believed that my life could be so incredible. I have a great life. This is
where I'm supposed to be."
She's remarried. He's her perfect
soulmate. She and her ex handle the child-rearing responsibilities admirably.
The kids are all doing well. They all get along.
It's all OK.
Just as she knew it would be - because
of those signs she read on the beach, written with all-powerful love, by the
Author of peace. †
