Michael and Keisha Queen love God, each other and their three beautiful children.
But there was a time, just a few years ago, when their marriage was in crisis.
It started the way many affairs do: Michael threw himself into his work to provide for his family. Keisha was immersed in the daily care of three small children.
There was no time for each other, no time for community, no time for growth. In this wilderness, Michael became involved with another woman.
Keisha, who was a Christ follower, found herself in a difficult place of betrayal. In the months that followed, even while the affair continued, she realized she had to give God everything … her family, her marriage, her hopes.
“One of the biggest things I learned about forgiveness was that it only takes one person. Regardless if Michael chose to stay with me, or to leave, and despite his unrepentance at the time, I was to forgive him,” she said.
She walked this road of forgiveness with support from other women who loved Jesus and who asked her, “Where is your heart in this? How is your relationship with God?”
The prayers and support of this community and Keisha’s reliance on God’s Word gave her the strength to walk through those uncertain days.
“A couple of verses that kind of sum up our story are Romans 5:3-5 and Isaiah 43:18,” she said.
Romans states, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Isaiah exhorts, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
Keisha posted these verses and others all around her house. She still treasures those index cards.
Through Keisha’s love and forgiveness, godly men in Michael’s life and the Holy Spirit’s leading, Michael ended the affair and eventually gave his life to Christ and was baptized.
“God did amazing things through both of us in that whole process,” Keisha said, including her forgiveness of the other woman.
They began to understand the importance of God being at the head of their marriage, the need to make their marriage a priority and the need for community.
They started participating in MarriageWorks at Blue Ridge, continued their reconciliation and found community.
“The hope I have is choosing to forgive...forgiveness is a choice. Despite my feelings. I work through it with Christ...there's such freedom and hope in that,” Keisha said.
Now, the Queens share their story in MarriageWorks as a story of hope. They also have walked with other couples in similar circumstances and are glad to “pay it forward.” In November, the Queens celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary.
“I'm not saying I would want to go through it again, but I definitely would in order to know God the way I know Him now,” Keisha said.