May 4, 2025 — Episode #68
Jerry and Becky Drace continue their “lessons learned from divorce” series, discussing how a couple’s relationship with their in-laws can foreshadow future problems, and why perspective on divorce can shift over time.
The couple uses the biblical examples of Abraham and Sarah, and Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah, to talk about how living close to in-laws affects a marriage, and stress planning ahead for aging parents. They discuss how divorce can “get better with time” as perspective changes, even as the memory never fully disappears, and Jerry shares a story about an older friend who has been married multiple times but grown spiritually in his later years. Becky and Jerry talk about choosing friends wisely since “you may marry one of them,” the value of keeping the door open for reconciliation grounded in Malachi 2:14 and Matthew 19, and the difference between serving a spouse out of love and being treated like a servant. They close with reflections on healthy versus unhealthy models of family for children to grow up watching.
Topics discussed:
- In-laws, aging parents, and their effect on a marriage
- How perspective on a past divorce can change with time
- Choosing friends carefully before marriage
- Reconciliation, forgiveness, and when it isn’t possible
- Malachi 2:14 and Matthew 19 on God’s view of divorce
- The difference between a servant’s heart and being treated as a servant
- Modeling a healthy (not necessarily perfect) family for children
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