Your thoughts are right on with what I wanted to say. That we don't deserve Christ forgiveness either. Forgiveness is a process, I've forgiven my wife as much as I can at this point. In other words I've made the logical choice too, but emotionally forgiving its going to take some time.
I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who feels like Gods compassion has been flowing through me and allowing me to love and hold and comfort my wife and she processes and feels the pain of what she did to me, our marriage, the other marriage, etc. When my wife broke the news to me and finished she begged me to say something, anything, all I could think to say was that I still loved her, and I did/do. But it has to be because of God, I don't think that the way I've handled this is something I have done on my own, its God using me as a vessel to show his grace. I don't deserve Christ love or forgiveness, and I suppose my wife doesn't deserve mine, but Christ loves me and forgave me, and I'm choosing to love and forgive my wife as much as I feel I can at any given time. Like you Joe, I'm lucky that I get to help comfort the woman that God gave me as a wife.
I think the hardest part for me is that I don't feel like there is anyone else I have to talk to, no one really knows about the affair except the us, our pastor and the AP and his spouse; but more than that I don't know who else I would tell even if we weren't trying to keep it quiet. Which is why I'm here I guess.
It's a slow process to recovery, but by Gods grace it is happening!
Spot On
Your thoughts are right on with what I wanted to say. That we don't deserve Christ forgiveness either. Forgiveness is a process, I've forgiven my wife as much as I can at this point. In other words I've made the logical choice too, but emotionally forgiving its going to take some time.
I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who feels like Gods compassion has been flowing through me and allowing me to love and hold and comfort my wife and she processes and feels the pain of what she did to me, our marriage, the other marriage, etc. When my wife broke the news to me and finished she begged me to say something, anything, all I could think to say was that I still loved her, and I did/do. But it has to be because of God, I don't think that the way I've handled this is something I have done on my own, its God using me as a vessel to show his grace. I don't deserve Christ love or forgiveness, and I suppose my wife doesn't deserve mine, but Christ loves me and forgave me, and I'm choosing to love and forgive my wife as much as I feel I can at any given time. Like you Joe, I'm lucky that I get to help comfort the woman that God gave me as a wife.
I think the hardest part for me is that I don't feel like there is anyone else I have to talk to, no one really knows about the affair except the us, our pastor and the AP and his spouse; but more than that I don't know who else I would tell even if we weren't trying to keep it quiet. Which is why I'm here I guess.
It's a slow process to recovery, but by Gods grace it is happening!