When to Walk Away: Showing Courage in the Face of Betrayal
By Debra Wallace
God's Brave Women - Debra's Story
Several years ago, when my son joined Boy Scouts, memorization of the Scout Law was a requirement. The law states: A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. In Scouting, to be BRAVE means to be able to show courage in the face of adversity. Little did I know then just how brave I would become later.
I recall when my two kids, ages six and twelve, were brave. We all had to be – our world had just crumbled. So there we were, the three of us on our drive to school, belting out the lyrics to a song they’d learned in Vacation Bible School.
“Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous? Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord, your God, will be with you wherever you go.”
Tears rolling down my cheeks, certain Joshua 1:9 was a command – not a request, there was no choice. Faced with what I now knew, we were all needing bravery. We became brave on that day – and we’ve remained courageous today – by God’s grace.
Let’s revert to 2007. D-Day. Discovery Day. The day I discovered my husband’s double life. (It presented itself ten years into a 22-year-long marriage, one established on holy ground.)
Mind blowing, earth shattering, unthinkable – that’s how I would describe my D-Day. It was shocking enough to learn of my husband’s infidelity, but a husband who was having affairs with other men? A double dagger ripping through my heart and an additional heaping of shame to address.