Jeremy and Dawn’s marriage had gotten off to a good start. They loved their time together. Things started to change three years into their marriage when they had twin boys.
Additionally, Dawn worked part-time at the church and was a singer on the worship team.
Over the next few years, she started to feel overwhelmed, thinking that she wasn’t being a good mother or wife.
Her husband, Jeremy, had his own struggles, and the couple started growing apart. He began focusing on the boys and wasn’t placing as much attention on her as he should have.
Feeling alone and unloved, Dawn was drawn to a coworker’s affirmation and attention. His compliments boosted her confidence and filled a void of not feeling adequate. This led to them having an affair for three months. The only way to continue was to rationalize it.
When she was with him, she would pretend that Jeremy was not in the picture, and when she was with her family, she would pretend that the coworker was not in the picture. Dawn convinced herself that Jeremy would never find out, and she believed everything would be okay.
However, it wasn’t, and she drifted away from her husband and God. Eventually, she confided in her best friend, hoping she would take Dawn’s side. Instead, the friend gave Dawn an ultimatum: end the affair, or she would tell her Pastor.
Dawn told the man that it was over, and afterward, they confessed to their Pastor, who advised them to tell their spouses.
Jeremy was away on a mission trip, so Dawn had to wait a week to tell him. She described it as the worst week of her life.
When she told Jeremy, he felt a lot of pain. It was only when Dawn saw how broken her husband was and realized he couldn’t even get up that she understood the depth of her actions. It was at that point she fell flat on her face, confessed to the Lord, and became completely broken. She surrendered everything to the Lord.
While Dawn lost her job at the church and some friends, the couple was on their way to rebuilding their marriage, healing their relationship, and learning to trust each other again.
The first step was daily prayer. They also attended counseling, but the most crucial aspect was forgiveness.
Jeremy told Dawn he forgave her and even forgave the coworker for the affair.
Today, the couple feels like they are getting a fresh start. Dawn is once again actively involved in the church, ministering from a heart that truly knows forgiveness.
This situation has given Dawn a new love and appreciation for Jeremy as she witnessed him live out his faith.
Jeremy believes their love is even stronger today than ever before.
