Mike & Cheryl Burke
GOD ANSWERS PRAYER
How long would You wait for your husband to come home?
Would eleven years be too long? Could you still pray for your marriage to
be healed if your husband had two children by another woman? Most people
would give up hope long before the end of eleven years. Their friends and
relatives would counsel them that their mate was never coming home, and
they should get on with their life. But Cheryl never gave up hope as she
stood for the restoration of her marriage. Here is her story . . .
Mike and I were married January 3, 1970, in a small
church in Michigan. We believed our marriage would last forever. Divorce
was not going to be an option with us. Incredibly, after only six months
of marriage, I had threatened to get a divorce twice. But, God blocked my
efforts. What was the problem? We argued over everything. We had
differences of opinion on almost every subject. Strife and unforgiveness
entered into our marriage. This opened the door for the possibility of
divorce later on.
We really didn’t want a divorce, so we worked at
reconciling our differences. Our first baby, Kenny, was born four years
later. At our baby’s six-month check-up, the doctor talked about the
Lord and invited me to church. He recommended a book, which I purchased.
After reading this book, I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.
That very night my husband asked me for a divorce and soon left me. I
continued to read my Bible and pray for a miracle. After a few months,
Mike did come home, and we moved into a new home together. It was
wonderful to see Mike put his wedding ring back on. Our minister and an
evangelist visited us in our home, and Mike accepted Jesus Christ as his
personal Savior and was baptized.
Our second son, Ron was born in 1977 and our family was
complete. But, I did not continue to depend on God after Mike and I
reconciled, like I did before we reconciled. We attended church off and
on, and I prayed off and on. Strife and unforgiveness slipped back into
our relationship again, and three years later in 1980, Mike left.
The children and I began to pray every night for Daddy
to come home. I spent a lot of time praying, repenting of my part in the
situation, and asking God what He wanted me to do. I called a Christian TV
counselor who told me to pray, praise, and pray for my husband’s
salvation. He recommended reading Ephesians 1:3, 1:17, 18, 3:14-17 and
6:12. Good advice for the wife is given in Ephesians 5:33 in the amplified
bible. There, the wife is told that she should respect and reverence her
husband. She should notice him, regard him, honor him, prefer him,
venerate and esteem him, defer to him, and love and admire him
exceedingly.
The Lord led me to a spirit-filled church where the Word
came alive to me. I met Nancy there. Her husband had left her about the
same time as mine and we had become prayer partners. We asked the Lord to
first change us. Nancy and I met with others who also felt God’s will
for them was to stand for reconciled and restored marriages. We began to
meet together for Bible study, prayer and fellowship. As it says in Mark
11:24, we believed that we received when we prayed. We developed wonderful
friendships that sustained us.
I have to admit that I did get discouraged when year
after year passed, and I didn’t see any evidence of my prayers being
answered. According to Matthew 19:4-6 my husband and I were permanently
joined together in marriage by our vow, and no man may separate what God
has joined together. So, I had no choice. I waited.
The woman my husband was involved with became pregnant.
Most people, including some Christians, discouraged me from continuing to
stand and believe for my marriage. However, our prayer group remained
steadfast and supportive. The Lord would encourage me with scripture like
Isaiah 54:17.
But, after a second child was born to the other woman,
Mike divorced me, and made their relationship legal. Eventually, they left
Ohio and moved to Minnesota. I continued to stand for my marriage.
The next years were not easy, raising two little boys by
myself. Kenny and Ronnie accepted Jesus as their Savior when they were
very young. Although they did not have the blessing of their earthly Daddy
during those years, their Heavenly Father was taking care of them and I
had to trust He would restore what they were missing in His own way and in
His own time.
Many times I wanted to give up, but I had many
encouragers; my prayer partners, my pastor, and Dana and Val Hartong who
have a ministry called New Hope for Broken Marriages. A book that was a
real help to me was by P.B. Wilson called Liberated through Submission
- The Ultimate Paradox by Harvest House Publishers.
We had not talked to each other for a year, when one
night I received a phone call from Mike telling me, "LEAVE ME
ALONE!!!" He said he always felt like there was a cloud over him.
Prayer is powerful and I know Mike could feel our prayers and he was under
conviction. About six months later, Mike wrote me a letter telling me,
"GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE! I’M NEVER COMING HOME!!!"
A few letters later, his letters had changed from,
"I’M NEVER COMING HOME," to "She’s moved out, can I
please come and see our kids on their birthdays?"
A month later on Ken’s 17th birthday, Mike got down on
one knee and proposed marriage to me, quoting some of our marriage vows.
He asked me to recommit to him and to our vows. I was ecstatic and eagerly
agreed.
Mike had to leave to wrap things up in Minnesota and as
I walked through the house, I began to wonder if he had really been there
and proposed, or if I had only dreamed it. I said to the Lord, "If
only I had some tangible evidence that Mike was really here." I
glanced at a small table, there I saw a note from Mike. "THE PRODIGAL
HUSBAND HAS RETURNED! I LOVE YOU AND I AM TOTALLY COMMITTED TO YOU FOR THE
REST OF OUR LIVES!!!" GOD HAD ANSWERED PRAYER.
Eleven years after our separation, Mike and I were
sitting in the judge’s chambers. Our sons, Ken and Ron, were with us.
The judge asked why we came to him. Mike had a profound answer for him.
"Our marriage was taken apart legally through the law of the land,
and we’re here to have the law of the land put it back together
legally." The judge’s final words were, "May God add His
blessing and keep you to fulfill your covenant from this day forth."
We had a wonderful honeymoon visiting Mike’s children in Minnesota.
We recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of our
remarriage. Last spring, Mike was given custody of Justin and Crystal who
are now 13 and 12. I love and admire my husband greatly and feel very
blessed. I’m grateful to God for His mercy, and grateful to Mike for his
patience and love. It took a terrific guy to do what Mike did. Mike says
to tell you he loves me; he loves all our kids; he loves all our pets; and
he loves our old home. He is content. I want to tell you that there is no
place like being in the will of God. There might be some who would
question my remarrying my husband. They would quote Deut. 24:2-4. But
Jeremiah 3:1 addresses the question of remarrying your mate. It says,
"Though You have left ME and married many lovers, yet I have invited
you to come to me again, the Lord declares!!
We wanted you to hear a few words from our children.
KEN: I remember praying for my dad to come home starting
when I was very little. I believe God is responsible for restoring our
family. I did miss a lot by my dad not being home while I was growing up.
But, it was nice to have him around as I was finishing school. I’m sure
I’m not aware of all the ways all this has affected me. One thing I do
know, I am very cautious about relationships. I want to have a marriage
someday that will last a lifetime because divorce is devastating. I am
happy that my Dad will be around for holidays and he’ll be there when I
do marry and have children.
RON: I don’t even remember my dad before he left us.
My earliest memories are praying for him to come home. I do believe that
God answered our prayers, I just wish God would have done it earlier. At
first when my dad came back, I was very excited, then I resented the fact
that he had not been there for me, and now he was telling me what to do.
It was hard to accept his authority. My dad has really tried to be the
best dad he could be, and I’m happy that he’s there for me now.
I don’t believe in divorce. I grew up with one parent
and I don’t want that for my children. I want my children to have both
parents. I am glad that someday my kids will not only have a grandma, but
they will also have a grandpa!
JUSTIN: Of course it is hard not being with both of my
parents. I am glad that I spent some years with my mom, but this is where
I know I should be now. I’ve been working on my grades and I even got to
join wrestling this year. When my sister and I were with Dad and Cheryl a
couple of years ago, we prayed and asked Jesus into our hearts. I get to
go to church now, and I feel God is helping me deal with things. I believe
in my heart that I am where I should be.
CRYSTAL: It’s hard not being with my mom. I miss her,
but I’m glad to be with my dad. My brother and I are making new friends,
and I hope to be able to get into a sport. I think this is the best
lifestyle for me. I feel we are open with each other, and I feel like I
fit in here. God has turned my life around, and I have a brighter future.
I feel Dad and my step-mom will guide me into a good relationship when I
grow up. Cheryl talks a lot about marriage, and I want to have a good one.
Basically, life is good!
Was it worth it? I want to tell you that it WAS worth
it!
Everything starts with Jesus, He is The Way to God.
Invite Him into your heart and give him your life.
GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS
Cheryl Burke
This testimony provided by:
NEW HOPE FOR BROKEN MARRIAGES
Dana & Val Hartong
24652 Featherstone Road
Sturgis, Michigan 49091
(269) 651-2187 |
