From Wounds to Glory
/ADELAE ZAMBON
"In my deepest wound I saw your glory. . ."
Photography: Beauty of the Soul Studio
I once heard it said that it is in the sin we suffer the most temptation where we can identify the sort of saint we are called to be. Look to the opposite virtue or the antidote of this scourge.
Struggle with lust? You were made to be a great lover!
Struggle with covetousness? Your fulfillment and joy will be living detachment and simplicity acknowledging God as your all!
Struggle with vanity? The Lord’s design is for you to live in the beauty of your being made in His Divine image!
Struggle with anger? The Lord has created you to be a passionate defender of the vulnerable. Or perhaps a righteous defender of the Faith!
From St. Augustine, we hear: “In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it dazzled me.”
What if our wounds are the portals that offer the deepest penetration of His transfiguring grace? What if our scars tell the story of His rescue and our restoration?
They are and they do.
In fact, when redeemed, they are the account of the Kingdom we can bring to the world. Why? Because they are the place where we have once fallen the farthest and where the Lord now lifts us the highest.
This holds true in our relationship as well. The wounds and sufferings between us in our marriages can become His glory stories.
You see, the Lord wants to make Himself known to us individually, to our spouse and then through us, united, to the world. From out of the darkness and the murk of our pain, we bear witness to His abundant mercy. Then, others can see His GLORY.
The places of temptation, sin and wounding in a relationship are the very places the Lord wants to pour out His grace and let His glory be shone.
Whether your relationship has been wounded by anger, infidelity or pornography; whether you and your spouse have suffered with infertility or loss; whether you have journeyed through illness between the two of you or in your extended family; whether you feel the weight of fighting financial or alcohol intemperance: the Lord can make your story one to testify of His glory.
Perhaps, one day, God will call you to come alongside another couple to encourage, mentor, and share your story as they walk a similar road of suffering. Perhaps you will create a ministry or champion a message that is needed to support couples going through the same trial you went through. I do not know your story or the valleys you have traversed; however, I do know the Lord brings beauty and good through all things and your journey is no different.
If this resonates with you and you are curious where the Lord may want to use your relationship to build the Kingdom and draw souls to His consoling heart, consider:
Where has your personal sin thematically affected your relationship? What is the antidote virtue? In what specific way do you think the Lord might be calling you to greatness?
What suffering have you endured as a couple that has fortified you? What helped you during this time? What did you wish you had had to assist you in navigating this trial?
What strengths, gifts or charisms do you believe the Lord has given to you together as a couple? How might these play a role in the unique mission He has given your marriage?
About the Author: Adelae Zambon is a “transplant Texan,” who met and married a Canadian singer-songwriter. Together they share a love for ministry and journeying with other couples into the healing, redemptive power of the Sacrament of Marriage. In her spare time, Adelae enjoys road trips punctuated by local coffee shop stops along the way. However, she will most often be found chasing a delightfully inquisitive toddler or savoring every moment of naptime for the space it offers her to write.