love.

i have a friend, well really more of an acquaintance, who's husband was recently arrested for trafficking drugs. it is also common knowledge that this man has not been a loyal husband in the past. so, when i heard the news it first broke my heart for her and their 6 year old son. my first thought was that poor child and how this is going to impact his life. but, then i thought about how this could be her chance to get out of the marriage. knowing her as a faithful christian woman i never understood how she could end up with a man so immoral.

as i heard her say, he really is a good person, i thought, she's blind, weak and brainwashed. i thought how could she still see the good in him? but, she simply continued on saying through tears he's my husband. i love him. then described how heart breaking it was to know he was sleeping in a cell with no bed and then to see him in shackles across the court room. my train of thought continued along the lines of...this man has cheated on you. put both you and your child in danger and you still love him and want to protect him?

as i've been praying for this family and this situation, i've realized this is how we are suppose to love. i mean i betray God daily and he stands there with arms open inviting me to run to Him. how is this any different? yes she needs to be smart and protect herself and child from any worldly danger her husband's poor decisions may have exposed them to, but really my sins hurt God just as much as this man's sins. this man deserves love just as much as i do. i still think what he has done is completely wrong, but over the past week god has given me the insight to have compassion for him. i can not fathom what or how he is feeling...the regret, the fear.

this man has gone to church every sunday for several years with his wife, she made the comment that she truly feels like the seed has been planted in him. so, my prayer for him in this time is that he will lean on God during these struggles and realize he is in God's hands and also realize God has blessed him with a wife who is able to unconditionally love and show him compassion.

reflecting on this family's situation has really opened my eyes to how God must see me/us. he sees us daily standing alone shackled by sin wanting nothing more than for us to just turn and run into his arms. how heartbreaking it must be?