Scarlet Letter

I have said all along that for me going through my divorce has made me feel like a marked woman.   The SCARLET LETTER!  

I grew up in the church...I mean I was born in the church!  I served on the church board, children's ministry, youth staff.  The church has been a huge part of my life, my WHOLE life.   I am a Christian woman, Christian women don't "get divorced".  

I had a wise mentor say that I needed to be careful of the people I chose to hang out with now, because the people in the church were watching and I was now a "marked woman".  I can honestly tell you that is how I felt from day one, and now that someone in authority "confirmed" my feeling, it must be true.   I am a marked woman! I now wore the scarlet letter,  "D".  

I know I am not the only one who has gone through a divorce in the church, so there is no real need to feel so alone. But I did and I still do at times.  I no longer feel like I belong.  I don't belong in the couple category, I don't belong in the "single" category.    When I look at the bulletin and see all the activities going on, couple nights, family activities...I feel like I don't belong.  Where do I fit in?

So among the other financial, emotional, mental, and physical challenges a woman faces with coming through a divorce, there also comes overcoming the stigma that comes with divorce.  But just like all those other challenges we face, it only makes us stronger!  

So guess what, I'm learning to  LET GO, it is what it is.  No one is in the position to judge the outcome of my life, except me and my heavenly Father. I'm taking this opportunity to reinvent myself, refocus and take care of ME!