Lysa TerKeurst’s Divorce Explained
TerKeurst first revealed her decision to divorce Art in 2017, 18-months after learning of his infidelity and substance abuse. Despite a year and a half of intense counseling, prayer, and the hope of redemption, Art continued to abuse substances and be unfaithful. The end of Lysa TerKeurst’s marriage was a stark reminder to all of us that none of our marriages are immune to Satan’s schemes.
Three months later, Lysa was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy.
“I’ve looked my greatest fears in the face and I’ve been able to walk to them and through them and with the help of God, persevere through it all,” TerKeurst told the Today Show’s Dylan Dreyer and Jenna Bush-Hager in 2018. “I think the unexpected strength has been physical, emotional and spiritual.”
In June of 2018, nearly one year after first announcing their separation and upcoming divorce, TerKeurst took to Instagram with a Father’s Day post celebrating her husband and revealing that the two were working to restore their marriage.
“A Miracle Answered, A Marriage Restored.”
In December 2018, the couple made the joyous announcement that God had restored their marriage. They celebrated by renewing their wedding vows.
“On an unusually sunny Tuesday in December, we dressed up a bit and whispered healing words, heart felt prayers, and holy vows,” TerKeurst wrote in a celebratory post. “A million prayers. A miracle answer. A marriage restored.”
Three years later, the Proverbs 31 woman says “It’s hard to face a future that looks nothing like what I desperately and constantly prayed it would look like.”
As we enter 2022, TerKeurst acknowledges that her life doesn’t look like what she had hoped. But as believers in Christ, who works all things together for the good of those who love Him, we can take heart in knowing that our prayers do not go unanswered and our hope is not in vain.
“Oftentimes, being human means being in a place of hurting but still hoping,” TerKeurst wrote on Dec. 29. “Hoping doesn’t mean we ignore reality. No, hoping means we acknowledge reality in the very same breath that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty.
“Our hope isn’t tied to our expectations finally being met in our way and in our timing. Our hope isn’t tied to whether or not a circumstance or another person changes.
“Our hope is tied to the unchanging promise of God. We hope for the good we know God will ultimately bring, whether the good turns out to match our desires or not.”
