The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

Fans of the Grammy-award winning gospel duo Mary Mary have reason to be excited: sisters Tina and Erica Campbell return to your television screen tonight for the fifth season of their hit reality show.

All of the drama over the production of the duo’s next album, a replacement for the group and more will unfold on WE TV.

Fans will also be brought up to speed on Tina and her husband Teddy’s marriage woes. Now that they have reconciled, viewers will get to see where the couple is with their renewed commitment to each other.

Viewers were shocked to learn of Teddy’s infidelity in season three while Tina was on the road with her group. It was a roller coaster ride for the couple thereafter, especially for Tina who appeared even more vulnerable and broken as the season progressed.

While Tina and Teddy lived separately for sometime, they managed to navigate through their marital distress, rekindle their love, restore their marriage and renew their wedding vows.

As gasp-inducing and painful the entire ordeal appeared, one thing the couple demonstrated is that there can be light at the end of the tunnel.

Overcoming marital issues, especially when infidelity, is a tremendous feat. With that being said, here are three things we can learn from Tina:

1. Gospel singers are

like our pastors,

they are human too

Pastors are often placed on pedestals by the church and society in general. People tend to forget that although they have been called to minister and “watch over the flock”, there are times when they do fall short. Likewise, artists of the gospel genre are also held to high standards and minded to watch what they say, what they do, who they appear in public settings with and how they dress, etcetera. While people would like them to be morally upstanding superheroes, the reality is that if you cut them they bleed.

Tina didn’t shed blood, but she did shed a whole lot of tears after finding out about Teddy’s infidelity. When Tina described how she reacted, viewers realised that even though the gospel singer encouraged people to be Christ-like in her music, her actions did not reflect that message at all.

In an interview on The Steve Harvey Show last December, Tina said: “It broke my heart. It devastated me. I spazzed out. I destroyed three cars. I cut up and tried to stab him and plotted murders and stuff,” she said.

1. The grace of God

can restore a marriage

broken by infidelity

Change only came when Tina made the decision to “live right” versus “dying every day”. This meant that no longer was she going to yield to her emotions, but do what she knew was in her heart to do – forgive.

Initially, Tina said that she lost her faith, but after God spoke to her she knew she had to trust his grace to see her marriage through.

“I lost my way, and I said ‘forget this faith thing, it doesn’t work’,” Tina revealed on a Fox talk show. “I pursued vengeance and I was going to get him back and everybody back and make the world understand they should have never hurt me.”

However, Tina made the decision to cling to the promises of God for her marriage to be restored. Otherwise she said they would have never made it.

“Part of my testimony, my willingness to speak about the difficult times comes from the joy I have in the knowledge that it was God who saved me,” she wrote on the Yahoo! Music Instagram page. “I want to let those feeling as low as I once did know that if He brought me through, He will bring you through! #OnlyJesusDidIt.”

1. God can give

beauty for ashes

Pain became a testimony for Tina. She said she has now become a walking manifestation of Isaiah 61:3, which states: “He will give beauty for ashes.” And in the end, Tina and Teddy Campbell triumphed. Both gospel singers channeled their troubles into new music and have worked on joint projects that have inspired and encouraged their fans not to waver in their faith, but to trust God even during the most trying times.

Tina’s painful ordeal also resulted in her winning a NAACP Image Award for her latest project, “It’s Personal”. She has said in the past that she puts her emotions into her music. Her current single “Destiny” is also a hit on the airwaves.

In addition to creating music together, the husband and wife team also perform together and have been sharing their story with all they come into contact with.