Page 8 - EW Magazine 5-2 FINAL

Michael and Heidi O’Brien first met at an audition for the Christian traveling musical group, Heritage Singers, in 1988. They quickly fell in love and got married. Several years later, Michael signed a recording contract and eventually became the lead singer for the award-winning band, NewSong. Although things looked wonderful on the outside, that wasn’t actually the case. In reality, Michael brought a dark secret into his marriage that would

nearly destroy it—his struggle with pornography and lust.

From childhood, Michael had been exposed to porno-graphic magazines, videos and a culture of promiscuity that only snowballed as he got older. By the time he was in college, that loose lifestyle transformed into heavy alcohol consumption and drugs, as well as acting out sexu-ally. Although Michael eventually found Christ, even as a young Christian he continued to struggle with these issues. For years, he lived a sexually immoral life that eventu-ally carried over into his marriage. Many times he tried reaching out for help, but instead received bad counsel from those he trusted the most. As a newly married couple, it seemed as though others were trying to destroy his relationship with Heidi instead of build it up. Once Michael signed his record deal, things only got worse as he travelled frequently and was often away from home. The strain on their marriage only intensified… to the point where they considered divorce. According to Michael, they were in a very bad place.

By not being completely honest with Heidi about his struggles, Michael wasn’t able to be the spiritual leader of his home, which had a huge, negative impact on their relationship. Michael and Heidi started attending a Bible-believing church where he joined a men’s fellowship group and, before long, the Holy Spirit convicted his heart. For the first time, Michael finally realized that he was

committing mental adultery by thinking of other women while being married to Heidi. When he opened up and told her the truth about his struggles, Heidi was devas-tated. Although the healing and recovery process wasn’t easy for either of them, through time and the help of God and their pastor, they were able to overcome Michael’s bondage of sexual sin and restore their marriage. Today, they are able to share with others how God miraculously restored and healed their marriage even when it seemed there was no hope. Their amazing journey should give other couples in similar situations hope that, with God, anything is possible. Michael and Heidi encourage couples who are contemplating divorce, just like they did, to stay together and fight for their marriages. They urge couples to take that first step for help by getting some good Christian counseling. “We have seen firsthand the blessings that have come from us fighting for our marriage, even when we didn’t feel like it was ever going to work out. Marriage is not about happiness, it is about commitment,” said Michael. The Lord rescued and restored their lives and healed their marriage. Now Michael and Heidi take advantage of the opportunities they are given to share their inspiring story of God’s love and restoration with others in the hope that it will help save even one marriage.