Bonnie Mattson
Indiana
Bonnie Mattson has been a disciple since 1988. She is a special education teacher and has taught off and on for 20 years. Bonnie received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Akron and her Master of Arts in Education from Dominican University. Bonnie met and married her husband, in Chicago, as disciples in 1996. They were married for 24+ years. He asked for a divorce in January 2021 and was divorced by November 2021. Bonnie calls it a “gentle divorce”, meaning it was amicable. The emotional aftermath was far from gentle. She credits her relationship with God, therapy, Divorce Care, the Grief Recovery Method, journaling, and close friends in helping her navigate her way through the divorce process and the grief in the loss of her marriage. Bonnie and her ex-husband have 3 adult children together. Their oldest daughter Abbie (24) is married (no grand kids so far…), and their son Shaun (23) and youngest daughter Lindsay (21) still live at home with Bonnie along with their dog Tripp and cat Milo.
The Shock and Shards of Divorce: Walking with God While Grieving the Death of a Marriage
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help. --Psalm 69:1-3a NIV
Enduring marital betrayal and divorce can feel like you’re drowning in a sea of pain. Often, it’s difficult to connect with God because the pain is combined with confusion and fear for the future. However, we are not alone. We have a Savior who has tasted the bitter fruit of betrayal. He understands our pain and can heal our hearts and give us hope for the future.
In this class, Bonnie and Cherise will share how they walked with God while grieving the devastation of divorce and allowed Him to reframe the shards of their shattered lives into a mosaic of beauty and peace.
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