Jen Smidt is the wife of Pastor Phil Smidt and is a deacon at Mars Hill Church involved in teaching and counseling couples and women.  Below is an article that appeared on the Mars Hill Church - Resurgance blog.

A Wife's Testing Ground

Some of my most scary moments as a wife have been when my husband has struggled. Some of my most intimate encounters with Jesus have been when my husband has struggled.  As a wife, each of us has faced or will encounter one of these scenarios:

• Your husband has just confessed sexual or financial sin. 
• His company has downsized and his position terminated. 
• Usually a solid rock, he is filled with doubt and questioning God.

What does a wife do when her husband is caught in sin? Reveals an area of vulnerability or is just plain weak for a time?

Who Is Your Rock?

There is no more heart revealing place for a wife than when her husband is vulnerable. Immediately and with gut-wrenching force, a stumble or struggle from our husbands exposes us to the core. Fear and anxiety leap to the surface as we desperately try to find our footing. We ask ourselves who we can trust to lead us through the uncertainty of this trial when the supposed “leader” is on the side-lines.  Cynicism abounds as we wonder how God could leave us unprotected. If our value is tied to his purity, we will be devastated. If our security is grounded in his job title, we will be shaken. If our faith rides the coattails of his, we will find ourselves drowning in unbelief.  If our husband is our rock, we may be crushed by him.

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