The 5 Love Needs of Men and Women by Barbara Rosberg & Gary Rosberg

Author:Barbara Rosberg & Gary Rosberg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Life / Love & Marriage, RELIGION / Christianity / Christian Life
ISBN: 9781414327891
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2014-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

FINDING ONENESS IN THE GROWING SEASONS OF LIFE

During one of the most painful times of our lives a few years ago, Barb and I learned just how important our friendship was in our marriage. At the beginning of this chapter, I told you how I had prayed for twenty-one years for my father to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As you might imagine, then, it was one of the happiest days of my life when I heard the words “Son, today I became a Christian.” Sixteen months after those words rang through the telephone line, however, I received another call—the call every child fears. It was my mother calling to tell me, “Dad just went into a coma.”

Moments later I was on the phone with the neurologist who was treating my father. “He is not likely to survive,” I was told. “Come now if you want to see him.”

Within two hours, Barb had me on a plane, and I arrived at my dad’s bedside in time to have two and a half hours with him before he died.

My dad’s death hit me like a ton of bricks, even though I knew that he was with the Lord. Yet two days after the funeral I was back on the road, speaking and ministering to families across America. I never really grieved over my father’s death. Oh, I experienced the initial stages of grief, but instead of walking through the grieving process, I stayed busy to numb the deep hurt inside my heart. I stuck my grief in a box and chose not to deal with it. (Remember those compartmentalized boxes we discussed in chapter 3?)

Not surprisingly, a year later my body and spirit eventually gave out, and I went into a depression. That year was truly the longest year of my life. Some days I simply isolated myself from others and shut down. Some afternoons I would sneak out the back door of my office and drive down the highway looking for a place to be alone, to cry. I didn’t think I could provide for my family. I didn’t think God could use me. I didn’t think I would ever come out of this deep hole. During those times I would often walk for hours, hoping the exercise would bring relief. It helped, but the deep feelings of failure and insecurity were more than I could bear.

One day I found myself sitting for hours on a park bench with my Bible and a bottle of water. I cried out to God, “I am not leaving until you reveal yourself and your promises to me in your Word.” In the fifth hour I came across Exodus 14:13-14: “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. . . . The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still’” (NIV).

After God revealed to me his promise to Moses, I drove home to Barb, my best friend, and told her what had just happened.

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