I was escaping an abusive marriage, and my abuser was making the divorce painful and expensive. I did not know when it would end and what I would have left. I repeatedly prayed for God to bring the divorce to a resolution, for me to be able to keep my home and for my daughters to be able to continue their current education.
The Covid-19 lockdown enabled me to re-connect with many wonderful Christian women over online groups; they surrounded me in love and prayer. I started a journal, recording the words of encouragement they had for me. The bible verse Ephesians 3:20 kept recurring; God promised that He would do immeasurably more than I asked. I got a virtual place in the 2021 London Marathon, meaning I had to prepare my own route. The training mirrored the difficult journey I was still on, and I pleaded with God to protect me and conclude the divorce.
On race day God repeatedly showed that He really was with me, from an open gate that had always been closed, to traffic on a major road quite literally disappearing as I ran to cross it. However, the smallest and easiest hill, at the 20-mile point, was really challenging. A month later I felt like I was metaphorically back on that hill, and I felt like giving up and letting my abuser have everything. My court date was set for 17 November but didn’t feel right; I was then informed that a court error meant it had been re-listed for 7 December. I was prompted to look at my diary, the two emails that had made me feel like I was back on that difficult hill had arrived on 26 October and 2 November; 26.2 miles is the distance of a marathon.
7 December was six weeks after the 26 October, and I suddenly knew beyond all doubt that I had passed my 20-mile point, that the last six weeks would melt away, as they did on race day, and that my finish line was going to be 7 December. On 12 November 2021 I wrote my diary entry for 7 December; the day when God would deliver His promise to do immeasurably more. He did just that.
My barrister couldn’t understand what had happened, everything was finalised that day. Whilst he believed I had got what was fair, he said it was beyond anything he had believed possible. It was immeasurably more. I shared with him that friends around the world had met virtually to pray for me that morning.
A few days later God prompted me to check something else; from the moment that I had told my abuser it was over until the moment in court when the judge said she was content was exactly twenty-six months and two weeks, to the minute.
*Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/@runffwpu