Coping With Divorce

(Read Coping With Divorce, Part 1 First)

Coping With Divorce - The Human Cost
Coping with divorce - whether you've been through one or witnessed one -- is difficult, and often, downright ugly. Divorce causes people to say and do things that would normally be out of the realm of possibility. It sometimes causes people to do the unthinkable and unacceptable. It is a territorial battle where both people lose to some degree. It is a battle that causes casualties, and the casualties are not always the two people signing the papers.

The average divorce proceeding lasts one year. Depending on the cause and resolution of the divorce, it can take significantly longer. Divorce affects not only the people directly involved (husband, wife, children), but also the extended family. Every sibling, parent, aunt, uncle, extended family member, friend and coworker will have to deal with your decision. The decision you make for yourself is calculated and you can possibly project the effects for yourself, but the effects on others are tough to measure. But be assured, they will be affected.

Coping With Divorce - How Does Divorce Affect My Kids?
When coping with divorce, children take one of the biggest hits. Here are some of the relevant statistics...

Children from homes where a father isn't present account for:

• 63% of youth suicides [U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Bureau of the Census].
• 71% of pregnant teenagers [U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services].
• 90% of all homeless and runaway children [U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services].
• 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions [U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988].
• 71% of all high school dropouts [National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools].
• 85% of all youths sitting in prisons [Source: Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections, 1992].

Coping With Divorce - What's The Alternative?
Are you coping with divorce? Are you considering divorce? Please re-think your plan. Give your marriage everything you've got. Go that extra mile -- or two, or three. Try to begin viewing divorce not as an option, but as a last-ditch alternative when all else has failed.

The bottom line is that God wants us to remain married. When you marry, you make a covenant before God and yourselves. And God wants you to honor that covenant.

If you're separated, God wants you to do everything possible to reconcile with your mate. Understandably, this may not be possible; there are areas outside of your control that would make it impossible and perhaps even dangerous to remain. However, our God is a God of reconciliation. Jesus Christ, who restored the broken relationship between humanity and the Heavenly Father, certainly has the power to reunite separated couples.

Keep Exploring the Alternatives Now!