An Affair that Destroyed and Saved a Marriage

An affair can be a devastating event in the life of a marriage. It is one of the most significant and hurtful things that can occur in a committed relationship. Trust is destroyed and often times the marriage will end.

There are basically two types of affairs: emotional and physical.

When an emotional affair occurs, one partner in the marriage will often feel, respond, and think about another person in such a way that should be reserved only for their own mate. This can be things like imagining themselves being a part of this other person’s life, wishing their mate would be like this other person, and even fantasizing about being involved with this other person sexually.

In order to get an accurate picture of what this can be like and how to battle this type of betrayal, I highly recommend reading Shannon Ethridge’s book called Every Woman’s Battle. She shares in depth of what it was like for her, learning to recognize the warning signs, and how to overcome emotional temptations toward the opposite sex.

Then there is an actual physical affair–one in which physical intimacy is exchanged with another who is not your mate.

One of the most powerful books I’ve read on this topic is one written by a lady named Nancy Anderson. Like many married couples, her marriage was one that left her unfulfilled and desiring to experience more happiness in her life. This sense of emptiness is what led her to have an affair.

Through the testimony of her book entitled, Avoiding the Greener Grass Syndrome: How to Grow Affair-Proof Hedges Around Your Marriage, Nancy shares openly and honestly how she was confronted with what she was doing, how she confessed her sin to her husband, and how the two of them worked their way back to a strong and fulfilling marriage.

It is an incredibly encouraging book and shows how two people’s commitment to their marriage was able to overcome even the devastation of an affair. Below, I hope you will be able to listen and learn from what Nancy and her husband have to say concerning their marriage.

While most of our marriages start with the desire to live “happily ever after,” they do require work. Learning from the mistakes of others and seeing the courage it takes from them to share their story can greatly encourage us in our own walk through life with our mate.