Family in trouble

by PamW
(Reisterstown, MD)

A few years ago, my only daughter let us know that she had become emotionally involved with a man whom she met over the internet and was even thinking of leaving her husband. Neither my daughter nor her husband were believers yet, they are not now, but I admit this whole situation shocked me deeply.

I felt very angry with her. She had lived with her husband before marriage even though we had counselled her against it, then insisted he marry her even though he was not sure he was ready.

She insisted on a church wedding saying she wanted to insure there would be no divorce.
My daughter went back to her husband, repentant, only to repeat the process with yet another man about a year ago. This time she moved out of the house, a house she insisted they buy together even though her husband was not sure he wanted that commitment.

She is living with a friend but I believe she is in every way entangled with this other man.
She refuses to break her marraige off officially but also refuses to break off this other relationship.

I have gone through a roller coaster of anger, grief, depression and panic. I chose to be a stay-at-home mom, giving up career or schooling to raise my kids full time. It is devastating to me to watch them live in ways which I find offensive and believe to be dangerous to them. It is frightening to have prayed for years and years and see them still far from the Lord. As far as I know neither my daughter nor my son nor my son in law know Jesus.

I began this process furious that she "would do this to us" (she asked us for an expensive wedding and we gave it to her, including all of our family.) I was frightened to see how her morals have been laid aside. I was panicked to see no fruit to my prayers for her and her husband.

During this year of intense disapointment and worry, I've been learning to trust God and to love my daughter (and others) unconditionally.

It has not been easy. My two grown kids are the treasures of my life and it has been hard for me to lay by my hopes and dreams for them. I am so grateful, even though her situation just seems to slowly worsen, that I am learning to know God more and love Him more and to trust Him no matter what!

If God can do such marvelous things in me through these awful circumstances, I know He can do marvelous things for my daughter.
Praise the Lord!