men who were supposed to love me

My friend Amy Sondova wrote an aching, poignant post today, "Divorce #2," on the pain of living through two family divorces, augmented by the failures of both father figures in her life: 

I have been through two divorces—the ripping apart of one flesh back into two, the division of marital property, wedding pictures thrown into the trash bags along with the hopes and dreams ignited that day, a million tears falling on damp pillows in the darkest of nights. ...

painting by Jan Hendrik van de Laar, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I have to be honest.  I’m still reeling from living through two divorces—the first occurring when I just turned 20 and the other just a few months ago.  While I pretend I am just fine, on the inside, it’s killing me.  See, after seeing how a man can ravage a woman through unfaithfulness (my father) and major abuse (my stepfather), I do not think I ever want to open my heart to a man.  I just don’t see how I could survive it. ...

If I’m honest with myself (and everyone else), my heart has been hurt by men who were supposed to love me, to show me how a godly man acts, and to guide me through the roughest times in my life with fatherly wisdom.

My prayer goes out to you and your mom, Amy, as you both continue to regroup.  Thank you for sharing your heart and your pain with us, and along with it an implicit warning to all of us who are couples and parents, and especially fathers.

(Amy is a talented writer who blogs at Backseat Writer and Atypical Musings, and a great photographer who has graciously donated much of her animal-themed work to not one sparrow; I appreciate her allowing me to share some of her post)