Every Reason to Leave, by Vicki Rose

If ever there was a marriage that shouldn't have made it, it was the marriage of Vicki and Bill Rose.  They married for all the wrong reasons, suffered through drug addiction, workaholism, affairs, and years of contentious separation, but through the grace of God, they reconciled, turned their lives and their marriage over to Jesus, and became examples and mentors to couples everywhere.  In her book Every Reason to Leave: And Why We Chose to Stay Together, Vicki tells the story of their marriage and how through the grace of God they are still married.

Neither Vicki nor Bill grew up in a Christian home.  Both were nominally Jewish, but had little to do with religion of any kind.  They had not been married long when their drug addiction and Bill's constant absence from their home became more than Vicki wanted to tolerate, and she asked Bill to pack his things and leave.  Vicki spent several years as a single mother, for all practical purposes.  During that time, she became a Christian and began praying for Bill's salvation.

The fact that Bill moved back home, reformed his life, and became a devout follower of Jesus is nothing short of a miracle and an example of the power of prayer.  Every Reason to Leave is not a marriage manual, but by their example Vicki and Bill demonstrated that no conflict or offense is too big for a committed married couple to overcome.

Vicki's keys to a healthy marriage may not fit your typical model, but they get to the heart of the matter.   When struggling in marriage, Vicki writes, "I want to encourage you to do the following: seek God, bathe yourself in His Word, hold fast to his promises, and pray according to his will." Too often couples try their own efforts, counseling, or other methods of reconciliation, if anything at all.  But reliance on God, prayer, and God's word will trump all.

Even though the Roses travel the country together speaking about marriage, Vicki acknowledges that they are not perfect and that marriage is not always easy.  They had to fight to salvage their marriage, and "are still in a battle today for our marriage. . . . We fight to keep our marriage strong and to keep Satan from trying to destroy it."

Every Reason to Leave is much more about the Rose's life together than I thought it might be when I picked up the book.  In fact the first 1/4 of the book is quite depressing, as Vicki recounts their lives before they became Christians and reconciled.  But their experiences and the lessons they learned can encourage couples struggling in their marriages to turn to God to help them overcome their differences and seek reconciliation.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!