A divorce shatters all family relationships. The wife feels hurt and cheated; husband is often bitter against his ex-wife. Children are treated like pawns on chessboard.
No one knew this better than a certain woman reared in a distant village. She had married well, she thought. The new bride had dreamed about the security and happiness her marriage would bring. Perhaps her expectations were impractical; perhaps she was too preoccupied with her own ambitions to recognize the first signs of tensions in her marriage.
After a few initial arguments, she and her husband hoped they could reconcile their differences . But the tensions between them mushroomed. Eventually they agreed that they could not live together any longer. The decision was agonizing but from all indications , necessary. They were divorced.
Only those who have lived through the trauma of divorce can understand this woman's anguish.
True, divorces are common but their increasing number does not lessen the hurt. This woman was so deeply grieved that she felt she could never share her life with someone else again.
But time heals all wounds, or at least lessens the pain of the initial blow. After she had pulled herself together emotionally, she eventually met a man who seemed to have all of the qualities her first husband lacked. Rather than face the future with loneliness and insecurity, the woman accepted the man's proposal. This marriage could be a success.
Despite this optimism, her second marriage showed signs of of strain. At first the irritations were manageable. The woman dared not to let herself think that this marriage would end like the first. Yet, the foundations of their relationship began to crumble. Patching up their differences was like trying to support a teetering building with wallpaper. Something fundamental was wrong; the resources needed to make this marriage work were lacking. Before long, the end was in sight. The result, a second divorce.
Some would have buried their frustrations in their career. They would have relocated in another city, gone back to school or learned a skill. But this woman could not.Her family believed not only that a woman's place was at home but that the woman was to be obedient to the whim of her husband. Furthermore, in her locality, no jobs were available to women. All she knew-all she could know-was the household chores, the drudgery of the routine.
It is not surprising that the decision to marry again was made easy. But now, the woman was bitter, angry at GOD, and disgruntled with men. This time she married without even calculating the risk. If her marriage didn't work, another divorce would rescue her from the bonds of her meaningless vows. She was crushed by the guilt and filled with resentment.
She was married for only a short time. Predictably, she experienced a third divorce.
Then a fourth.
Then a fifth
Any further marriage vows would have been a mockery. Since chastity was no longer an option, she decided not to bother with the formality of another wedding.
Disclaimer: All images used in this story were taken from www.piaxabay.com
