May 22, 2000
FAMILY MATTERS:
Divorce is like swinging on a trapeze
___I am a newly separated, soon-to-be-divorced woman. When I attend church, I feel as though I have a large "D" tattooed on my forehead. I am feeling I have no place in God's house. What should I do?
STEVE SMITH
Minister to Singles Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano
___Few things in life are more exciting to see than the high-wire act at the circus. All who watch gasp as the trapeze artist lets go of the bar and swings in mid-air, ready to catch another support. It is a time of danger, of uncertainty and extraordinary anxiety.
___Like the trapeze artist, those who find themselves newly separated or divorced are looking to catch another support.
___People who find themselves in the aftermath of divorce face shifting images that put pressure on the present and doubt about the future. They long for someone to give them the ABCs of healing. When divorce has occurred, it is certain to be accompanied by great amounts of emotional pain.
___The culture makes a vain attempt to be very upbeat about divorce. Historically, divorce has been lumped together with such failures as rape, robbery and bankruptcy. However, many people are now beginning to view divorce as a way to correct a mistake. Friends even throw divorce parties. However, there is nothing funny about being left alone.
___There are no shortcuts, no magic formulas, no quick and easy solutions to the physical and emotional turmoil of divorce
___The old Neil Sedaka tune was correct when it said, "Breaking up is hard to do." Breaking up even the most disastrous marriage is pure agony. When facing the stark reality of the death of a relationship, people must go through many stages of recovery.
___The divorced person is like the trapeze artist who has just let go of the bar and is suspended in mid-air, awaiting the arrival of the catcher. The divorced person, feeling a sense of isolation and aloneness when grappling with rejection, anxiously looks for another support to catch. It is vital that both the newly separated or divorced person and the church recognize that, in our dealings with each other, we are all acrobats working without a net.
___Allow the church to be your support, and the grace of God will supply your healing. The words of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians were never truer than for you: "Carry each other's burden, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
___
Send this story to a friend
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!
