Testimonies of how Wives Support Group blesses women

Jesus, My Redeemer – a testimony

“Before the 15th of June 2009, my marriage and life in general were on a downhill slide facing a brick wall at the end. I hit that brick wall on the 15th of June when I overdosed and my husband found me and then gave me CPR till the ambulance arrived. Two days later, my husband and I separated and that downhill slide seemed to start all over again. I had made some poor choices in the two years leading up to the separation of my marriage but instead of being accountable for those choices, I spent all my time looking at the faults of others and using them as justification for my actions. I had also got myself into a web of deceit that I couldn’t get out of and the end result was the overdose.”

“In November 2009, life started to change very rapidly and there is only one person responsible for the change, Jesus. Once I accepted Jesus as my saviour, He saved me from myself; my destructive thoughts; my destructive actions; my destructive words; and any desire I had to destroy myself. Within two weeks, my whole approach to life and how I lived life had changed. The biggest and most significant change was in my approach to my husband and my marriage. So significant, that in the second week of December, my husband wanted to reconcile.”

“Unfortunately, this reconciliation failed within 10 days. Boy did it hurt at the time. Boy did I feel like my world was falling apart again. Boy did I have a screaming session with our God and boy was He faithful in the grace and peace that He poured into me through his Spirit that night and I slept like a baby with a belly full of milk. God was so faithful, that just a few days after that all fell apart, God spoke to my heart through His Spirit on the train to work one day and in His very loving and calming way, pointed out to me that I had turned away from Him and was seeking my joy, love and comfort from the flesh first and not from the true giver of all these things, God.”

“The first six months of 2010 was a very trying time but it was also a very blessed time for me. God continued to convict me in the gentlest ways, showing me all the errors and sin that I had allowed in my life and my marriage and I spent most days learning how God wants me to live: how a wife should love and respect her husband; and how as a Christian, I should love people the way God loves people, even those who do wrong against me.”

“As I continued to mess up, I recognised the sin, confessed it, asked for forgiveness and repented, and our faithful God forgave me and in some cases, revealed to me the reason I had faced that testing time. It’s becoming more and more obvious that with every challenging session, my faithfulness and thanksgiving for the turbulence even in the midst of it all, brings about a blessing from God. Sometimes the blessings aren’t what I expected, but they were what I needed.”

“On the 5th of July 2010, I met my husband in court. We were there for a few hours but over all, it went well. My husband and I walked out of court together, talking and feeling ok about the morning and I asked him if he needed to be anywhere. He said no so I asked him if he wanted to go out somewhere and catch-up. He said yes. Eight hours later with laughter, tears and deep conversation, our marriage began to reconcile again. But this time, it didn’t stop. He joined the kids and me on our overseas holiday. He was there at the end of July for the birth of our first grandson. We went to all the family Christmas gatherings together. We also attended Christmas Eve service at Church together as a family. And my husband has spent time with one of our Pastors and joined me at church several times.”

“And this has all happened because of one person, My Redeemer, My Saviour, My Heavenly Father. In addition to my reconciliation with both God and my husband it blesses my heart that my husband, after having gone to an ‘Introducing God’ course at our Church surrendered his own life to our Lord and Saviour a few months ago and is now a child of God too. So although it was tough going and it seemed impossible for a marital reconciliation “God does work out all things for good for those who love Him and who are called to for His purposes.” (Romans 8:28). And He blesses us abundantly.”

“We are currently attending a marriage course offered at our Church. Praise be to God, our source of strength, our refuge, our tower…our everything.”

Annie’s Testimony

“Helen is the facilitator of our support group. We are both from the Philippines, and finding Helen here in Australia is one of my blessings, because we had lost contact for 18 years. I wanted to get involved with a small group and had prayed to the Lord about it. When the Lord led me to Helen, I felt comfortable about joining her group. It is the kind of group that really suits me. It is like a dress that suits me nicely and comfortably. My point is, I love this group very much; we have the same needs in common, our unsaved husband, that's why we relate with each other very well. ”

“Yes, our husbands are wonderful, but we need this kind of Christian relationship. Wives Support Group changed my life tremendously, I was suffering from depression, I'm too shy to open to others. I did not know what to do. I go to church, but did not get involved with any group there. My life had no direction. I was very sad, with too much stress, and couldn't sleep at night, losing weight …”

“I now look forward to the day we meet as a group. I hear of different blessings that others have experienced. Negative circumstances being changed into positive testimonies, so I told myself that I could share about my life in the group, too. Slowly, I have been able to open up about my situation, and I have received support and prayer from the other women in the group. I am spending more time with God, reading the Bible, and reading the books from the library that help to build my faith in God.

“In the two months that I have belonged to the group, I have grown in my faith. ”

“Everyday is a new day for me because God is with me all the time. I am very special to God because he loves me very much He changed my heart, gave me His love, peace and joy in my heart. I am blessed. I have learnt to pray for my husband, and I do believe that God is answering my prayers. I have found a new way to live, and live for God now. Thanks to God, and to our Wives Support Group, especially Helen.”

Tina’s Testimony

“When I first joined the group I was so hurt, I didn't want to pray for my husband. I told the group this and we agreed that I would pray as much as I was capable, and that they would pray too.

“As we began to study “Beloved Unbeliever” by Jo Berry, I began having feelings of anger towards God. I would ask Him, “Why didn't you give me this study years ago, why did I have to go through so much pain?”

“I especially was grateful to hear that God does not expect you to talk to your husband about spiritual things, as his eyes are not open to spiritual things the way mine are. This comes only through a spiritual rebirth, when God lifts the veil causing unbelief, from us. (2 Corinthians 4:6). This was such a relief to me and the burden of this was lifted from me, because most of our disagreements were on spiritual things.

“The support group is more than I could ever have expected. To have amazing loving support and awesome prayer for our loved ones, to study God’s Word and receive His agape love has been the turning point in my life and in my marriage and in my home. I do believe that this agape love comes from God, then from Lorraine’s devotion and dedication to her Saviour, and all the support groups. The facilitators and also the women in the groups are touched by this awesome love.

“I believe that by praying the survival prayer, found in The Key—How to Let Go and Let God by Nancy Missler, I have reached a turning point in my faith. I will be forever grateful to God and Lorraine, answering God’s call on her life, for all of us women who so needed guidance in how to live a godly life.”

Another Testimony

“It has been so good to be part of this wonderful group of women who share the same longings for their husbands to belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and know His salvation. To be able to encourage and pray together for our families, so openly, learning how to live, and letting God change me, so I can love my husband unconditionally… as God loves me… . And leaving it in His hands is so freeing. God is so good.