R

divorced mother of two

I have been a single mom for going on 16 years now. I was not in a safe place with my ex-husband, and raising my kids with him was not something I wanted to keep doing.

During my divorce, the church I was a member of really frowned on me for getting a divorce and my reasons for doing so. The church blamed me for “not praying hard enough” to save my broken marriage. I went to the pastor seeking advice and he made me read Ephesians 5:22-24. “Wives submit to your husband. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is to the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands.”

I felt unworthy and ashamed for making a decision like this. I left that church setting and for several years I refused to go to any church because of that treatment. After a couple of years, I started going back to church. I found one that made me feel empowered and at peace; however, I still feel awkward for not having a “normal” family.

I know that God is with me in this journey, especially compared to what it would’ve been like if I stayed married.