How to Stand for What’s Right in Your Marriage

GUEST BLOG by Jess Robichaud of Radiant Marriage

Just 5 months into our marriage, I had to take a stand. I ended up leaving my husband the day before our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. When I look back on that day that I left, I am beyond thankful for so many things. God orchestrated all of the events and timing in the best way possible. My parents were in town and were there to help me, there was a pastor at our church who had just enough time to talk before he had to get on a flight to his family Thanksgiving. I had a week off from work. All the right pieces were in place to support me in a really hard time.

It terrifies me to think of how different our life would be now if I hadn’t left when I did. Would I have had the courage to leave if my parents hadn’t been there? How long would it have taken for me to be honest with myself? I remember sitting at a coffee shop with my mom and her asking me some really tough questions to see what types of fights we were having and the other things I was experiencing. It was those questions that brought me to understand that I was in an unsafe situation. How long would it have taken me if my mom hadn’t pushed? God knew exactly what I needed in that moment and He was faithful beyond measure.

If God hadn’t given me the strength to leave, Adam and I would probably be in a much worse spot. The unhealthiness would have continued and caused much more deeply-rooted pain. My leaving forced us to work through our issues and work towards the marriage that God intended us to have. While it might seem counterintuitive, my leaving was actually me fighting FOR my marriage. I didn’t leave out of contempt or with a mindset of divorce or payback.

I desperately hoped for reconciliation…