If you are recently divorced you may still be adjusting to being "single." I have been single for years now. One of the biggest blessings that came from my divorce was going through a Divorce Recovery group. Those of you that have followed my blog Know that I am a BIG fan of Divorce Recovery groups and sound counseling.
The leader of my Divorce Recovery group was also a therapist. I went to one-on-one counseling with her while participating in the Divorce Recovery group. After the group ended there were several of us that wanted to continue with our recovery. So, for months we continued to meet once a week, then every other week with our leader, as a private group. I can't tell you how much that helped me in my healing process. It was huge!
There were men and women in the group. Thank God for the men in the group who were able to provide the male perspective for us women and vice versa. While meeting and sharing in our brokeness and on our paths to recovery, we created a special bond. We were a diverse group of individuals, that is for sure. Some were believers and some were not. Everyone respected each other and their differences.
We met together socially, celebrated birthdays, went hiking, snowshoeing, a lot of eating in and out, along with some of our friends from the original Divorce Recovery group. It was interesting to watch everyone progress and persevere through their own challenges and issues. The group whether socially or as a "meeting" provided a safe environment to be open, honest, vulnerable, encouraged, supported, and inspired. Trust me, we had a lot of laughter mixed in with tears. I think we could measure our progress by the increase in laughter and the decrease in tears.
God truly blessed me in my time of need, with the Divorce Recovery group, counseling with the leader, the private group and the friendships that were made. When I needed to find an attorney, I had no idea who to use. One of my prayers was that God would make it clear who He wanted me to use. As God would have it, there was an attorney in our group who shared the name of the person she would use. It just so happened I had a preliminary appointment scheduled with this man, among others. I ended up using him.
God taught me things about myself, past relationships, my childhood, and enlightened me on what true love looks like, how relationships should work and what to strive for in future relationships. I could go on and on with the way God used this group and the people to bless me.
I am so thankful that I took the step to join the Divorce Recovery group. If you have not participated in individual counseling or a support group for your divorce, I would encourage you to find one or both. Allow yourself to be vulnerable, to take an honest look at yourself, your past, your successes and failures. None of us are perfect. We all have areas of improvement.
If you want your future to be different, often times you have to do something(s) different. You cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Be willing to do the work, to learn from your divorce and move forward. God does not want to waste your pain, there is something for everyone to learn through divorce.
If you need help finding a Divorce Recovery Group, see my ezine article listed on the right.
Copyright 2008 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved
