I'm sure someone else has brought up this topic, but I cannot seem to find it.
Background: 36 yr old male, married 8 years, Methodist wife, two young children.
I met and married my wife during a time in my life when I was inactive in the church. I haven't been to church at all in the 8 years that we've been married.
Lately, I haven't been able to escape the feeling that I need to return to the church. I am empty spiritually. My heath is suffering as a consequence. I used to be very energetic, easy going and happy, but now I am drained (physically/mentally/spiritually), irritable and borderline depressed.
When I told my wife that I needed to return to church, she hesitantly said that I could go but that I wasn't allowed to take the kids. This killed me, but I just let it slide by to avoid argument. She believes the church is some kind of cult and has read a fair amount of anti-mormon literature. I know that if I return to church she will resent the church and I. If I don't return to church, I will continue to die spiritually and grow to resent her.
As I weigh the options I can’t help but fell like four lives are going to be negatively impacted as a consequence to any decision that I make. Is there a win-win solution here? In most areas of our marriage we are fine with one exception being religion. But religion is the most important thing and without it the void in my life continues to deepen and adversely impairs my ability to be the father that my children need me to be.
Thanks in advance,
J
