The Restorative Love of God

My name is Sunu Philip, and I am from India.

I was born into a religious family but never really knew Jesus intimately.

I grew up following the motions of spirituality, but never experienced the true joy of a relationship with God.  It was 16 years ago during my post-graduation study that I had a close encounter with Jesus and accepted Him as my Savior.  My parents didn’t share my new-found faith; and I struggled between pleasing them and staying true to what I believed.  As I reached marriageable age, I wanted to share my life with someone who shared my faith, but it was not to be.

You see, in the Indian community, arranged marriages are the norm.

While this may seem strange to the western world, it’s very much a prevalent custom in India even today.  Apart from a few metropolitan cities, the majority of Indians follow their parents’ wishes on whom they are to marry.  Marriages are usually arranged between two strangers based on just the family background, education level and economic status.  That was my story as well.  I was not mature enough to take a stand on whom I wanted to marry.  Neither did I have Christian fellowship with anyone who could guide me.

In 2004, I got married to a good man who my parents thought would be right for me. 

I eventually did fall in love with my husband after our wedding, and the first few years were okay.  But later, things became rough.  I went into a deep depression following my pregnancy and my marriage was on the rocks.  My husband had a taxing job, and he wasn’t there for me when I needed him the most.  Our son was born premature, and I struggled a lot during his early years.  I started believing I’d made a mistake in marrying my husband and that he was not the person God intended me to marry.

My husband fell short of who I expected him to be.

I didn’t think he was worthy of my respect.  Nothing he did could ever satisfy my needs.  Now I realize how wrong it was to place all my expectations onto my husband, expecting him to fulfill them.  I wrongfully withheld my respect.  It took several years for me to realize that my marriage was not a mistake.  God had been in control of everything, even when I wasn’t.  He gave me the partner I needed.  I believe now that my husband is the one God created for me.  But during those difficult years in my marriage, I didn’t realize that truth.

I drifted away from God.

I left my father’s house and was living as a prodigal daughter, dabbling in worldly things.  At that time, I started immersing myself in my new found role as a work at home mom.  But my lowest point was when God took away a profitable work project.  It was everything I had been holding on to.  God brought me to a place of nothing and that’s when I reached out to Him.  He pulled me back to himself, and I realized where I stood.  That was in August 2011.

In September I felt a major change coming on as I started reading books and blogs of Christian writers.  In October 2011, I followed a popular blog series on Christian marriage that changed my perspective of marriage.  Slowly but surely, things started getting better between my husband and me.  In the meantime, I started craving good Christian fellowship.  I needed someone to share my thoughts and prayers with.

I begged and pleaded with God, often crying out to Him for a Christian companion. 

In January 2012, I joined the Love God Greatly Ephesians study, and I haven’t looked back.  That was the start of a new phase of my flourishing Christian life.  I was placed in the international group where I was excited to meet many ladies who easily connected with me.  Guissete was my first friend at Love God Greatly.  I still remember our first Skype call together, all the way from India to Australia!

We were miles apart but just two kindred sisters talking together.    

I’m so thankful for the technology that connected us and God who answered my cry for Godly friendships.  He helped me get closer with so many like-minded friends through the Bible study group who prayed for me, cried with me and strengthened my Christian walk.

From not having a single soul to call a Christian friend, I now have close friends from all over the world—from Croatia, Australia, Canada, Paraguay, and different parts of the United States to right here in Bangalore, India.  I view these friendships as God-given gifts.

I’ve been blessed to be a part of this beautiful community, and it became all the more special when we met face to face during the Love God Greatly Intensive this past September.  Every aspect of the event just fell in place beautifully; it feels like a dream now.  Even months later, I still cherish the moments we shared together as sisters in Christ, working toward a common purpose.

Sunu (second from left) at the LGG Intensive held September 2015 in Texas.

My situation is such that I’m not able to attend a local church.  My husband is still not a believer, but through the years, God worked a miracle and transformed my marriage.  I can honestly say I feel like the happiest wife in the world!  Honestly, just being with my husband brings me happiness.  His personality is directly opposite mine, but he’s the right match for me.  I’ve started appreciating the little things he does that show how much he cherishes me as his wife.  I feel like our love is just blossoming, and we’re more in love than ever before.

If you are struggling in your marriage, I urge you to give it over to God.  He can redeem any marriage.  We hear it takes two people to make a marriage work, but with God, it just takes one person.

We might not be able to do anything for our marriages, but God can.

God loves to show us His glory time and time again.  There may be trenches and waiting periods, but God is faithful to lead us through them all.  It’s amazing to know that our God hears our prayers, even the silent ones, and answers them.  He is faithful to those who trust Him, no matter what!

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,your justice like the great deep…”  Psalm 36:5-6

Sunu Philip, India

Interview conducted and post written by Joan, LGG Leadership Team Member

Did you miss last Saturday’s #WomenofLGG post?  View it here!

joan