Reaching the Silent Sufferers
There is a very good chance that you walked past someone in church last Sunday who has been sexually assaulted—but has never shared that with anyone. According to the Department of Justice, one in four women, and one in six men, are sexually abused in their lifetime. Throughout almost four decades of ministry, I’ve found that most people hide their abuse, are ashamed, and often blame themselves. They are the silent sufferers.
Read MorePreparing a Safe Place for the Abused
Still the nightmares come. She knows the Word better than most. She’s committed to Christ—wants to live as a faithful woman of God—but her heart is weary and doubts assail her as the onslaught of horrific memories and pain continues . . . for years. For decades. And I want to be more than just a praying friend. I want to “fix it,” but I don’t have that power. Only One does.
Read MoreLifting the Cover on Sexual Abuse
“Will I need to stand in front of the church and confess that I was hospitalized in a mental health facility?” At first I thought she was joking. She was not joking. She was dead serious. And when she asked that—I knew our church had failed. We had failed her terribly. The church adds to the trauma of sexual abuse when men and women are afraid to come forward, afraid to share their story, and afraid to confess that they no longer want to live. That’s when it is obvious that we, as a church, have failed the broken and hurting.
Read MoreHow a Reverent Woman Guards Her Conversations
It was the neighbor ladies’ typical gab session, and it must’ve been getting pretty juicy because my grandmother shooed me out of the house promptly when she noticed my wide eyed interest in what they were saying. It made quite an impression on me. I remember her distinctly saying, “You’re too young to be listening to this!” and she pushed me out the door into the hot summer sun on the front porch.
Read MoreA Reverent Woman is Not a Slanderer
We’ve all experienced the damage that slander can bring. Probably everyone reading this post has been impacted, in some measure, due to slander. It may not even be that we’ve been personally slandered—perhaps our parents, our husband, our pastor even, has been the target for slander . . . and that has resulted in a course change for our lives. We’re continuing in our study of Titus 2:3 and have reached a word of instruction that every woman needs to hear loud and clear:
Read MoreSharing my heart with you…
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