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WashedClean
Guest
Hi Everyone
I was curious how everyone ended up in an unequally yoked marriage/relationship. This question is not intended to make anyone uncomfortable, so please don't take offense or feel obligated to respond
.
I just thought it might help us understand and relate to one another on a different level. I'll go first...
I've been married for 12+ years and with my husband over 14. When we met, neither one of us was "religious". He was raised Catholic and I Protestant (Methodist to be precise). We were engaged 3 months after we met (to the day). At that point, we began living together. My parents were not happy about it, but eventually they accepted it. His family never had a problem with it.
Obviously a priest would not marry us since we were living in sin. This hurt my husband a great deal because they actually excommunicated him and said he couldn't take communion. Even though he wasn't attending anyway! Obviously, we were very messed up in our thinking. We didn't really understand why it was a sin since we loved each other. Of course, now as I look back, I realize we were outside God's will. My reason for going into depth about this is because to this day my husband is still not over it. Although the priest was right to refuse to marry us, he should have explained it in love instead of condemnation. I know not all priests would have handled it this way, but we can only go by this one.
So when I was saved we were married almost 10 wonderful years. Even when we were both living in darkness, the Lord was so good to us.
I truly believe He meant us to be together. We have a strong marriage, even now. I love my husband so much and believe he is a gift from God. That's how I can believe one day he will save him by his wonderful grace.
Really quickly, the way I came to know the Lord was through a book "Power for Living" which is put out by the Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation. Perhaps you might remember their pro-life TV commercials from several years ago - "Life, What a Beautiful Choice". Anyway, we ordered this book for free (someone told my husband about it) and it sat on our shelf for about 3 years. Then in 2001 (around Easter) we were both starting to feel those tugs on our heart that we always had around holy holidays. We had no plans to attend church and this saddened me, but I didn't want to go and be uncomfortable. So on Easter day after we had gotten together with our families, we both read this book individually at my husband's suggestion. It had some testimonies from Jeff Gordon and Andy Pettitte, along with the Gospel message. I immediately embraced it and invited Christ in to my heart. However, my husband did not. He understood it, but could not let his guard down. He has a lot of pride, although you would never know it because he doesn't come off as arrogant. I didn't even know that I was born again yet, just that I couldn't stop smiling. At first I didn't even realize that my husband wasn't a believer. But within a few days it was pretty apparent.
Anyway, that brings me to today. I started going back to the church I grew up in because my mother was still attending every week and I knew everyone. But after about a year, I was going crazy because I wasn't being spiritually fed. So I went down the street to a non-denom. church and have been there ever since. It's awesome and we're growing like crazy. The Lord is the head of that church and it really shows!
Sorry for the long story, just felt like getting the ball rolling. God Bless you all for reading this far!
WashedClean

I was curious how everyone ended up in an unequally yoked marriage/relationship. This question is not intended to make anyone uncomfortable, so please don't take offense or feel obligated to respond
I just thought it might help us understand and relate to one another on a different level. I'll go first...
I've been married for 12+ years and with my husband over 14. When we met, neither one of us was "religious". He was raised Catholic and I Protestant (Methodist to be precise). We were engaged 3 months after we met (to the day). At that point, we began living together. My parents were not happy about it, but eventually they accepted it. His family never had a problem with it.
Obviously a priest would not marry us since we were living in sin. This hurt my husband a great deal because they actually excommunicated him and said he couldn't take communion. Even though he wasn't attending anyway! Obviously, we were very messed up in our thinking. We didn't really understand why it was a sin since we loved each other. Of course, now as I look back, I realize we were outside God's will. My reason for going into depth about this is because to this day my husband is still not over it. Although the priest was right to refuse to marry us, he should have explained it in love instead of condemnation. I know not all priests would have handled it this way, but we can only go by this one.
So when I was saved we were married almost 10 wonderful years. Even when we were both living in darkness, the Lord was so good to us.

Really quickly, the way I came to know the Lord was through a book "Power for Living" which is put out by the Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation. Perhaps you might remember their pro-life TV commercials from several years ago - "Life, What a Beautiful Choice". Anyway, we ordered this book for free (someone told my husband about it) and it sat on our shelf for about 3 years. Then in 2001 (around Easter) we were both starting to feel those tugs on our heart that we always had around holy holidays. We had no plans to attend church and this saddened me, but I didn't want to go and be uncomfortable. So on Easter day after we had gotten together with our families, we both read this book individually at my husband's suggestion. It had some testimonies from Jeff Gordon and Andy Pettitte, along with the Gospel message. I immediately embraced it and invited Christ in to my heart. However, my husband did not. He understood it, but could not let his guard down. He has a lot of pride, although you would never know it because he doesn't come off as arrogant. I didn't even know that I was born again yet, just that I couldn't stop smiling. At first I didn't even realize that my husband wasn't a believer. But within a few days it was pretty apparent.
Anyway, that brings me to today. I started going back to the church I grew up in because my mother was still attending every week and I knew everyone. But after about a year, I was going crazy because I wasn't being spiritually fed. So I went down the street to a non-denom. church and have been there ever since. It's awesome and we're growing like crazy. The Lord is the head of that church and it really shows!

Sorry for the long story, just felt like getting the ball rolling. God Bless you all for reading this far!
WashedClean