A Quiet Reflection
Here we were, only days after I had my court appearance, and Sharon marched right into the court and signed papers so we could legally be together again. We were both extremely excited to start our new life over again with each other. It had been one heck of a tough time with police, court, and family drama. But now, here we were, as impossible as I thought it would be only weeks ago.
We arrived at the lake at lower end of Kent Road, and there it was: a bright, beautiful blue body of water called Pickerel Lake.
It was late morning when we arrived. We got out of the truck and walked onto a large sandbar on the beach. We just stood there together, taking in the natural beauty. Was this really happening, I wondered. It’s way too good to be true.
I couldn’t take my eyes off my wife. I watched her as she slowly moved her gaze across the shining blue water, as the warm, gentle breeze moved her beautiful black hair.
What a sight.
It was quieter than we were used to. A stillness you can’t appreciate unless you experience it.
Not an empty stillness.
Not lonely.
The opposite.
I couldn’t believe it was really happening. I have my wife back. We are living off-grid as we’ve planned for a long time. And I have the rare privilege of living this amazing adventure with my wife by my side. At that moment, it couldn’t have been better for the two of us.
OUR STORY
That quiet afternoon on the shores of Pickerel Lake was supposed to be the beginning of the renewal of our marriage.
It was only the beginning of more turmoil, more heartbreak and seemingly unending hopelessness. Little did we know, our marriage would fail six more times over the next nine years where we were separated for months, up to a year at a time, and Sharon vowing to get a divorce and never return. This is true story, the details of which most would have a hard time understanding let alone, believing. It was so bad, if it didn't really happen to us, I would never have believed it was possible.
Like many couples, we entered marriage carrying wounds from childhood that we didn't understand. And, we each added to each other's wounds over and over again. Over the next few years, our relationship was tested, and it failed over and over again, to the point that her family forbid her to ever getting back with me. She said that even if Jesus Himself was to stand before her and tell her to her face to come back to me, she would refuse.
The seventh time our marriage failed, we were in Nicaragua. We both almost died, She ended in the hospital and flat-lined. I had no idea at the time, where Sharon was or what was happening to her. Next thing I know she's heading to Costa Rica to catch a flight back to Canada. I was left in Nicaragua on a property I had no right to be on, with no money, no help, and no way out.
I couldn't even begin to hope that God wasn't finished writing our story, and without signs, wonders, messages from Jesus, I would have died alone in Nicaragua.
Our story is so unusual, impossible, and just beyond what I could have ever thought would happen to two people who were so sure they ere in love, that we just had to share it in our book, 2 Broken Pencils. And we are seeing other, Christian and non-Christian ending in disaster, the way ours did. Marriages, kids and families are being devastated by separation and divorce. We know, after going through it ourselves many times, all is not lost.
That's why we started The Journey Marriage Podcast.
What is The Journey Marriage Podcast?
Marriage isn't a destination—it's a journey to the destination.
Some seasons are filled with joy. Others test us in ways beyond what we could ever imagined.
On The Journey Marriage Podcast, Michael and Sharon Hunter have open, honest, and encouraging conversations about marriage, relationships, faith, forgiveness, family, and finding hope through life's unimaginable toughest seasons. Drawing from their own story of a marriage that not only nearly ended the marriage but also their own lives, they explore even the hidden things that are easily covered over with few willing to talk about it.
Whether your marriage is thriving, barely holding on, or somewhere in between, you'll find encouragement, be enlightened as they reveal the teachings of the Bible in a whole new light that illuminates the true depth of God's love expressed through the marriage relationship, that is the pattern He gave us on earth to reflect the relationship He wants with His Bride.
Michael & Sharon are proof that you are never too lost to be found or too damaged to be repaired. There is hope!
Join us as we discover that every marriage journey—even the most difficult ones—can end up being be the most beautiful of all.
A broken world produces broken people, but Jesus can make all things new.