Forging a Partnership with Your Spouse in a Family Crisis

A crisis can tear a family apart.

Evan and Elisa Morgan learned how to forge a strong partnership by going through the fires of crisis – one of which involved their teenage daughter.

Evan was the CFO of Denver Seminary. Elisa was the president of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). Their daughter was an honor roll student, a state-ranked swimmer, and an active member of her youth group. She even participated in a mission trip to serve HIV/AIDS orphans in Kenya.

The first inkling of a problem was the night Elisa had a dream that she was walking with Jesus through a home that was under construction. He stopped her in a hallway near two adjacent rooms. He told her, “This one is for your daughter. And this one is for the baby.” Elisa disregarded the dream until she had the same dream again a couple of nights later.

A few days after that, Elisa was meeting with her leadership team to plan the future of what would become Teen MOPS, a support system for teenagers who become pregnant. In the middle of the meeting, she sensed the Lord saying to her, “Elisa, you’re going to know more about this than anybody in the room.”

That night Elisa and Evan discovered that their daughter was indeed pregnant, and their vision of the “perfect” family was dashed. So began a journey of reexamination – hopes, expectations, and definitions of success for her family and for herself.

Their struggles will resonate with a lot of moms and dads who know what it’s like to have a crisis upend their views of marriage and family.

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Forging a Partnership with Your Spouse in a Family Crisis,” Evan and Elisa Morgan join us to recount how they kept their relationship strong through numerous trials. Listen on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

We offer biblical truth to encourage you and your spouse, no matter what trial you’re facing. If you’re struggling, let us be there for you. We have caring Christian counselors on staff, and referrals to counselors in your area. Take the first step. Reach out to us at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

Evan and Elisa Morgan have written a book called The Beauty of Broken, which is available for a gift of any amount. Visit our website. If you can’t afford it, we’ll find a way to get it to you.

Before I close, I want to remind you about Hope Restored. If you’re on the brink of divorce, these marriage intensives can go a long way toward facilitating healing between you and your spouse and bringing restoration to your relationship. The intensives take place in three locations: Branson, MO; Greenville, MI; and the WinShape Retreat Center in Rome, GA. The number for Hope Restored is 1-866-875-2915, or visit online.

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