IDNTIMWYTIM Part 3

If you read the first two blogs with this title, you know that I have an individual on my staff who is contemplating leaving her husband. Once she confirmed it to me, I was in a quandary: I knew I couldn't just turn my head and pretend something like this wasn't happening--but I didn't want to just chunk her out on her ear. My goal was to try to do as much as I could to salvage the marriage without damaging our ministry.

I gave her 6 days off (paid) to look for a job. She tried, but it's tough to find a job in this economy. So when she came back this week, I called her in and discovered no job was offered. So I told her that marriage counseling was required for her to keep her job. She didn't want to, but I told her to not make a decision immediately but come back the next morning with an answer. The next morning her answer was "yes," she'd go. But she didn't like being forced into it.

Rarely does counseling work for someone who is forced into it. The odds are long. But I'm hoping and praying that this little glimmer of hope pays off in a salvaged marriage. She has committed to stay in for the 13 week course. I've leveraged my influence as much as I can. The rest is between her and God.