Hi, my friend. Welcome back to the Journal Gently podcast.
Today’s conversation is for the woman who may be carrying something very heavy in her marriage—something she doesn’t often talk about out loud.
You see, addiction has a way of isolating not only the person struggling with it, but also the spouse who is trying to love, endure, pray, and hold everything together behind the scenes. Many women quietly wrestle with questions like: Where is God in this? Why do I feel so alone? And what does healing even look like for me?
In today’s episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Shook. Jennifer is a coach who works with women whose husbands are struggling with addiction, and she brings both deep compassion and practical wisdom to this conversation.
Together we’re talking about some of the invisible struggles women face when addiction enters a marriage—how it affects a woman’s sense of safety, identity, and trust, and why so many women feel unable to ask for help or even admit what’s really happening.
If this conversation reflects part of your own story, I want you to know you are not alone—and you are not invisible to God.
Welcome, Jennifer.
[interview]
For those of you listening, if this conversation stirred something in you—whether recognition, grief, relief, or even just the feeling of “someone finally understands”—I want to encourage you to sit gently with whatever surfaced.
You don’t have to carry this alone. And you don’t have to rush your healing.
Before we close, I want to invite you to take a quiet moment with the Lord and perhaps hold a simple question in prayer: Jesus, what do You see when You look at me in the middle of this story?
Or simply: Lord, show me the next small step toward safety and healing.
If you’d like to connect with Jennifer or learn more about the work she does supporting women whose husbands struggle with addiction, you’ll find all the links in the show notes.
And if this episode might bring comfort or clarity to someone you know, consider sharing it with a friend.
Thank you for being here. I’m grateful for the space we get to hold together in these conversations.
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER SHOOK:
Jennifer is a seasoned Christian life coach with over 20 years of experience in leading and mentoring women into their true identity in Christ. Her personal journey through the pain of her husband’s addiction and betrayal has deepened her understanding of heartache and the transformative power of God’s love. Through this experience, she found the strength to stop rescuing others and start rescuing herself, embracing the healing and purpose God had planned for her.
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- Episode 197: When You Fall Into a Pit Pit
- Episode 166: God in the Midst of the Storm: A Devotional Reading of Mark 6:45-52
- Episode 158: Burdens vs. Loads: Discerning When to Help Someone
- Episode 135: Identifying Signs You’re Not Doing Well (And What You Can Do About It)
You can do more than just read a Bible story; you can actually enter into the story itself and experience God.
And you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to do it.
In the Imagine devotional, you’ll dive into a different story in the Bible and get a taste of what a person’s life might have looked like as they encountered God through their specific circumstances.
God Cares About the Pace You Set
Are You Planting What You Want to Harvest?
Faithfulness in a Full Season
Sleep as a Christian Spiritual Discipline
