PUTTING GOD FIRST

On paper, Viktor and I were the perfect couple. We did and said all the right things; our families were supportive of the relationship. We had been together for more than two years, so in the eyes of society, we were on the path to marriage. We went to church together, we played in a worship band together—we could do no wrong. That was on the surface...

 
 

Slowly our spiritual core deteriorated. He began disrespecting me. We began arguing about nearly everything, and I began to have less and less of a voice in the relationship.

We would put on a façade
for our family and friends,
but when we were alone,
it felt disjointed.

Viktor eventually lost it. He began to tell me that if I left him, he would commit suicide. I couldn’t concentrate on school or other relationships, and I was losing sleep. Many nights were filled with desperate prayers asking God to rescue and comfort me.

I believe God strengthened me to focus less on Viktor’s suicide threats, and more on the relationship at hand. Eventually, I made the decision to end the relationship. Two months after we broke up, I was still confused about where God was taking my life. In 2012, I attended a History Makers Journey in Truskavets, in Western Lviv, Ukraine  

While there, I heard the testimony of Andriy and Alla Kolbovsky, a newly married couple. They shared their stories and how they have a joint respect for one another.

God was showing me through
this beautiful couple that
love for Him must always
come first in a relationship.

Andriy and Alla are radiance personified because God’s love for them is their priority.

God intervened in my life and revealed His true standards for relationships on earth by putting Andriy and Alla in my path. I know what happened to me and Viktor wasn't just an experience; God allowed that season in my life so I can share it with someone in similar circumstances. God is always on time.

In May 2011, the first History Makers Journey took place in Ukraine. Olga Shabliy represents the growing number of disciples God is empowering in Eastern Europe.