Ripped apart

I have been ministering to a couple of ladies at church going through divorce and my heart breaks for them watching the pain they are going through, having gone thru it myself not so long ago. . I read a quote the other day and it describes the pain of divorce in such a clear way: "Divorce is like trying to pull apart two pieces of paper which have been glued together for years and years. It's impossible to this without tearing them both apart." It's what Jesus talks about in Mark - "the two becoming one flesh - what God has joined together, let no man rip apart."
I have recently been working on a scrapbooking project and needed to remove old photos that my father had glued in his scrapbook. It is impossible. There are photos on both sides of the paper and if I try to remove one, it rips apart the one on the other side. Thank goodness for scanners. I finally decided to leave the photos intact and scan them and use the copies for my project. Unfortunately, tho, in real life, it's not that simple. There is no easy solution to the painful ripping apart of a marriage and a family. It takes much grieving and healing and forgiving. And when we allow Him, Jesus comes along side and walks with us and takes the bits and pieces of our hearts that have been torn apart and helps mend them back together again. "He is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." He also sends people into our lives who can help us, too - support us and encourage us...sit with us and listen...It takes time and it takes work and a lot of tears, but we do begin to heal. Oh, the torn edges and scars are still there, but they are just reminders of where we've been and how far we've come...and they are visible reminders to others we are now helping that we know what they are going thru.

Thank you today, Jesus, for never leaving or forsaking us. It helps to know you experienced the same rejection and abandonment and You know how we feel.