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[Pyrite]

What you are describing is God's gift of grace. Hope. Truth. Light. God's healing of your hurting heart and soul. God's steering you back upon your True path where once you were.

The "gift" of sin is death. Darkness. Your wife's sin was done to herself. Not at you and not for you. She wasn't "giving" you this and, if she were, Satan would prefer she take you down with her down the wayward path of hatred, isolation, loneliness, resentment, anger and loss of hope.

I see you are also taking poetic license here in using the word "gift" freely. In the spirit of its meaning and not one particular translation.

This almost sums it up GB. This is where my use of the word gift ignites you. Yes I totally agree that what she actually handed me was not intended as a generous offering to inspire me to find "the grace of God." But the net result is that it has. And moreover, I cannot imagine finding this any other way. I can imagine that another traumatic event such as the tragic death of my child MIGHT. But two things - i would probably choose this first and the death of a child would not force me to re-examine myself to the extent which I have in this case.

Not a huge point, but you are assuming that she is on this terrible path. This may be the best thing that has ever happened for her. She will die happy in the arms of this OM, or her subsequent partner.

I add the following quote not as a means to preach but convey my point of view. I know we are different religions but I believe the bible is also a part of Muslim teaching along with other books so I hope referencing a bible verse is not offensive.

15 But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. - (New Living Translation Roman 5:15-16).

I did a little research and maybe the best Muslim reference I could come up with for would be:

"The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and make reconciliation his reward is due from Allah: For (Allah) loves not those who do wrong." (Koran 42:40)

The "gift" of clarity, hope and love that you speak of above in your post, is, perhaps, your "reward" due from Allah and not something your wife gave you.

I think there is misunderstanding here. I am not muslim, she is, and only technically at that. I know more about Islam than what she cares to. However, this does highlight that perhaps you would agree with the terminology "reward", which is basically what I AM saying. She facilitated this reward being "offered".

Consider this...would it be a a gift if she did it again? Would you add adultery to your holiday or Amazon wish list? Yet, we all (religious persons) pray for God's "gifts" all the time. We should recognize the true gift giver. and celebrate our God's gifts and the lessons we learned in opposing sin, in spite and despite of sin, not because of it.

"Teach a man to fish.....". But he wants to eat, not learn to fish. If he forgets how to fish should we teach him again? Does he need it? Of course I would not wish for this to happen again, but I would also wish that I never encourage this to happen again, and that goes hand in hand with this "gift".

haaaaa - so this does sum it up. "The true gift giver". My beliefs are more inline with Budhism here. In that there is no supreme being. We all are the supreme being. And so I agree with you that I AM the true gift giver here - not my wife. She was the cause in this karmic duo. It is my re-action to her action. I don't suppose this satisfies you at all GB?