Getting a Do-Over - I Wouldn’t Flirt with Him (Part Deux)

Getting a Do-Over - I Wouldn’t Flirt with Him (Part Deux)

ONCE YOU OPEN the door to flirtation, things can get out of hand. Fast.

So what advice does Marilyn have to share?

For you single, young girlfriends: don’t marry young. Marrying young has several disadvantages, but here’s the biggest one: as you mature and your personality continues to form, you will begin to wonder if you married the man who was really perfect for you. Doubt opens the door for reckless thinking.

For the rest of us: guard your heart, especially when your marriage is not at its strongest. Giving in to temptation is way too easy and comforting when you’re not feeling appreciated. But that comfort won’t last and will be replaced by a self-loathing that will eat at you from the inside out. The resulting conviction and guilt you’ll feel is something that will be hard to shake.

Be careful with your feminine lure. Flirting can seem harmless to you, but it’s jet fuel to a guy, and he may turn on his charms in ways you’re not prepared for. Just don’t go there.

Lastly, most marriages ebb and flow. Wait. Wait. Wait. Work. Work. Work. When you see trouble brewing, seek the best marriage counselor you can find and don’t give up.

Marilyn’s a really smart gal, and she knew that the affair must come to an end or she could well lose her family. Marilyn said to me, “You know, no one in the world knows about this affair, but it has haunted me all my life. Even though I asked God to forgive me, I can’t forgive myself. This ugly, painful knot in my stomach resurfaces regularly. I think I’ll feel convicted about this mistake for the rest of my life.”

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Marilyn put her own advice into action, and work, work, work she and her husband did. She invested herself emotionally in her marriage again. The couple will celebrate their thirty-seventh wedding anniversary this year.