03novalumni (03 Nov Alumni - Covenant Keepers, Inc.)

Y OU A ND Y OUR SP OUSE BY CHARLYNE STEINKAMP, REJOICE MINISTRIES t may happen five minutes after your mate returns home. It may not happen until five days or five weeks afterward. The one you love will say or do something and you will think, “Nothing ’s changed. It’s the s ame as b efore.” After awhile, some even begin to verbalize those words. The enemy must laugh when we speak those or similar com- ments. Something HAS changed. God brought your loved one home. He is restoring your family. You will continue to see changes each day if you stay obedient to the Lord, calling on Him often for His help. About a year ago, Bob and I were in a large church in Memphis. Although not orchestrated by man, the Lord had a special blessing in store for us that Sunday morning as the choir, orchestra and drama team portrayed the parable of the prodigal son. The prodigal son entered that large sanctuary about ten feet from our seats. We saw the Fa- ther standing, expecting and waiting for His prodigal to come home. Then they saw each other, the father started toward his son who was not cleaned up, but instead was dirty, hungry, broken and weary. What rejoicing was seen as the two embraced and wept right in front of us. “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:22-24) That dramatization had us filled to overflowing, in preparation for speaking to a stander’s group that afternoon. Bob later remarked that the prodigal son we had observed honestly portrayed how he felt when he came home. Prodigals do come home, but they seldom come home cleaned up and sanctified. You need to accept and love your returned prodigal, yet unclean, with the same unconditional love shown while your spouse was away from home. The Holy Spirit, who brought your spouse home, has just begun a great work of cleansing and restoration, in your mate, as well as in you. “For I will take you out of the na- tions; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your im- purities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekial 36:24-27) Your spouse needs your love, prayers and encouragement, not your problems, fears, condemnation and corrections. You demonstrated a sacrificial and unconditional love for your spouse during that pre-reconciliation stand. The Lord will expect the same from you now that He has blessed you by allowing a post-reconciliation stand. While your spouse was away, it w as easy to love your mate, since they were not with you 24 hours a day. This is where the Holy Spirit shows you the power of His touch as you “walk the talk” of love verbalized during this past season. We say so much when our spouse is gone, but when they come home, we are tempted to make d e- mands. Do not forget what love really is. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) I always tried to remember that no matter what is happening, that our spouse is home with our family. Remember, all those prayers you prayed for your spouse to be home. Love them unconditionally! It is the Lord’s business to change them, not yours! Either you, your mate or both, may feel that you’ve really blown it sometime during these early days of restoration. It’s hopeless only when you refuse to pick yourself up, allow the Lord to dust you off, prop you up with His Word, and go on. A scripture that may describe your spouse’s struggles is found in Romans 7:14-25: “We know that the C OVENANT C OUPLES A LUMNI N EW SLETTER Cov enant K eepers , Inc. ® Fall 2003 "Together Again" I

03novalumni (03 Nov Alumni - Covenant Keepers, Inc.)

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