Laboring to Love an Abusive Mate

If you are reading this after spending most of your weekend fighting, staying up late in the dark crying, and holding your head in your hands, I want to speak directly to your heart. You know the truth. You don't need anyone to define it for you anymore—you know what you are experiencing is abuse. The disrespect, the walking on eggshells, the emotional strain, and the quiet heartbreak have become a heavy cycle. Yet, as the sun comes up on another week, a familiar resistance sets in. You look around at the home you’ve built, the years you’ve invested, the shared property, and the financial assets tied up between you. You tell yourself, "We’ve been together for so long," or "It’s too complicated to unravel everything now." Now that the children are grown and out of the house, the quiet in your home only highlights the noise in your relationship. You might wonder why you continue to stay and tolerate the disrespect. Today, I want to offer you the courage, hope, an...