Charles and Susie Rutherford — 1972
Our Story
CHARLES — We met in college and married in 1974. The first six years of our marriage were pretty much a train wreck. That was primarily on me. Early career success went to my head. I became selfish. Got distracted. Lost interest. Stopped trying. Turned my attention elsewhere. Was ready to move on.
SUSIE — Our marriage was shattered in countless ways. For years I’d been trying to glue the pieces together myself without success. Someone shared this bible verse with me, “Nothing is impossible with God.” Knowing it would take a miracle to resurrect our relationship, I gave God the broken pieces of my marriage. With a flicker of faith I began to pray.
CHARLES — During this time a friend told me, “Before you blow up your marriage, give it another 6-month commitment." Those words troubled me. In my mind a commitment didn’t have a timeline. Those few words caused me to pause. To ponder. To play the movie forward. What might the future look like if I made a renewed commitment to my marriage vs. walking away?
SUSIE — By now I'd become a follower of Jesus. The bible was crystal clear, “God is love. God’s love never fails. God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Love is patient and kind. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” This became my quest — to be a reflection of God’s love to my husband.
CHARLES — It wasn’t fair. What I had put my bride through. I was unlovable. Still, she loved me. My behavior was unconscionable. Yet, she forgave. I did not deserve such grace. Susie shared with me the source of that love and forgiveness. She had found it in a personal relationship with Jesus. I recall it like it was yesterday — January 4, 1981 — the day I surrendered my life and marriage to Christ.
SUSIE — Amazingly, our love for each other was rekindled within weeks. A supernatural transformation was taking place. It didn’t happen without its challenges, or dealing with some scar tissue, but it did happen. And over the decades since it has only gotten better and better.
CHARLES and SUSIE — You may or may not come from our faith perspective. That’s not a problem. We’ve asked our therapists to coach and counsel from a secular perspective — not a religious or spiritual perspective. This way, EVERY couple can benefit from Dr. Gottman’s scientifically validated principles that make marriage work.
May your time here save, strengthen, and safeguard your marriage.
Charles and Susie Rutherford — 2023
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
— C.S. Lewis
There’s a movement gaining momentum. It started with a diverse group of people. Believers and non-believers alike. Each passionate about the authentic Jesus of the Bible. They’re not “left” or “right” or a political organization of any kind. They’re also not affiliated with any particular church or denomination. They simply want everyone to understand the authentic Jesus as he’s depicted in the Bible — the Jesus of radical forgiveness, compassion, and love.
This is the Jesus we came to know and love. The one at the center of saving and restoring our marriage. The one who still offers hope and healing today. This is the Jesus behind the He Gets Us movement. We invite you to take a closer look.
