Ok so this may be random, but in reading the separation/divorce guidebook I got last night, I found a passage that 'spoke' to me:
"Your efforts do not guarantee the restoration of your marriage. Your spouse has the freedom to turn away from all your overtures. If, after you make every effort at reconciliation, your spouse refuses to be reconciled, where does that leave you? It leaves you with your hand in God's hand. That is not a bad position. You will be free from the guilt of past failures, because you will have confessed your wrong to God and to your spouse. You will have the satisfaction of having sought reconcilation. You will appreciate your own abilities and admit your weaknesses. You will be on a program of personal growth and ministry that will lead to fulfillment. God will not hold you responsible for the decision of your spouse. You are only responsible for your own attiudes and behavior."
So, another way of saying what Michelle says in the DB books. You may not 'win your spouse back', but you will have your own self-respect back because you know you did your best.
