I was saddened when my husband first told me the news last week that Al and Tipper Gore were separating. In the midst of the media coverage, my favorite article on what’s happened with the Gores is one that appeared in the online version of “Christianity Today” by Glenn Stanton, the Director of Family Formation studies at Focus on the Family. I met Glenn in January when I shared some of our College Transition Project findings with a team at Focus. I was impressed then by him and I am even more impressed now.

My favorite quote from Glenn’s insightful perspective on how God can work in and through a marital separation is this: “Separation, however, can be an extreme and wise life-giving move for a marriage. It can allow a troubled couple to take a critical time-out from their seemingly hopeless marriage for antiseptic distance and hopefully a new perspective on what they have together, while making intentional plans for the road to health.”

Glenn shares his own experience in his marriage of going through a time of separation - a time that eventually seemed to make their marriage stronger. The time of separation was, as Glenn put it, a time for he and his wife to “fight” for their marriage. It was also a time for them to experience the power of a supportive community and wise counsel.

Thanks, Glenn, for helping us see the grace of separation.