Praying for a Miracle

After almost three decades, I didn’t want my marriage to end. Yet, after years of neglect, it was sinking fast. I felt powerless to stop what seemed inevitable. In my search for help, God led me to what I believe is the most important ministry to marriages that exists on the planet.

The National Institute of Marriage in Hollister, MO. provided my wife and me with a wonderful, safe setting, free of the everyday distractions, where we could begin replacing the repetitive hurt and frustration, with fresh hope. Our time with The Institute’s team of gifted therapists took place in multi-day counseling sessions referred to as “Intensives.” As our own Intensive unfolded, I was struck by the similarities in the other couples that were present. All were unsatisfied, wounded, and ready to call it quits. A list began to emerge. Perhaps you, too, can identify with some of these feelings:

• Alone • Judged • Out of control • Unloved • Controlled • Invalidated • Betrayed • Dissatisfied • Unaccepted

These highly-charged, emotional “buttons,” when pushed, can generate all manner of negative responses in us. And it’s our knee-jerk reactions to being hurt that sets us up for a cycle of retaliation Each party shuts down emotionally. As NIM’s staff guide each couple, these cycles were revealed–barriers started to crumble. Eyes that had been closed are opened. I learned so much about my wife–even more about myself. It’s this new awareness, plus the relational toolkit we were provided, that gave us the reason to press on. Our newfound skills allowed us to rediscover the joy we had let drift away, allowing us to renew a journey that blesses each other.

There’s no way in this small space that I can fully explain the level of help we received. However, let me just share some statistics that will encourage you. 96% of the thousands of couples that have attended an NIM intensive, experienced a marriage revival! Every couple who has attended an intensive would tell you the same thing I am saying to you now. Your marriage can be saved. I pray that you have a spouse that will be open to attending. If that’s not the case, it grieves me to think of what you are going through. Some may intially resist anything that The Institute offers.

The common illusion is that it’s too late. It’s at that point you both need to ask yourselves the same question that was asked of us: “If God wanted to give you a miracle, would you be willing to receive it?” It’s no accident that you are reading this. I totally believe that God wants marriages to not just be renewed, but to be the model of love and sacrifice. He is using this very brochure, drawing you toward a genuine remedy, just as He has many others. The rebirth of our marriage has left us with a message for hurting couples…that no matter how hopeless a marriage looks, it not only can be rescued, but placed back on course and steered toward the bright future you always wished for. Don’t let the outcome of your marriage be left to chance. Do what we did. Open your hearts to that strong 96% possibility that the National Institute of Marriage will supply your relationship with what it absolutely needs to thrive and flourish. May God bless you richly as you seek His will for your lives! - Todd Anderson Independence, MO