WASH LINE - Winter 2006

By Peggy Harris, W.A.S.H. Board Chair
Women and Men Against Sexual Harassment and Other Abuses
www.tagnet.org/wash

Happy New Year to all our readers.  We sincerely hope that in this New Year you will find peace and healing for yourself or your loved one.  So much has happened this past year with nature’s disasters and then there continues the personal disasters perpetrated by the evil one against God’s children.  Picking up the pieces and rebuilding a life is harder to do than rebuilding a destroyed building. 

NEW SECTION ON OUR WEBSITE:  A new section on our W.A.S.H. web site is Bible Verses About Abuse.  You will find seven sections dealing with scripture on this subject.  Do read and share these:  Texts on Abuse from Genesis to Revelation, Bible Promises, Healing Promises, Council to Abusers, Instructions, Restoration and Stories of Abuse.  God doesn’t mince around the subject!   

IT TAKES A LONG TIME:  For those dealing with abuse and healing be patient and impatient!  In so many of the stories I’ve heard it takes a long time after the abuse for the individual to be able to begin to deal with the abuse.  Years ago people didn’t talk about it and often the child or person felt they might have been at fault and done something wrong so didn’t tell their parents.  It may have happened with a relative or close family friend which also makes it hard for a child to tell of the abuse.  Even when it was told – higher ups, perhaps parents, pastor, or other church and school leaders dismissed it and did nothing.  What blasphemy!  What misrepresentation of God to a child or even an adult suffering from the destructive effects of abuse!

Often it is much later in life when something triggers the memory or allows the abuse (that was hidden in the recesses of the mind) to come forward and then the individual begins to deal with it.  Often, by that time they are married and have children.  They may have lost their faith in God because of the abuse.  How clever Satan is in crushing a child’s or person’s trust in God by perpetrating abuse through those who claim to represent God!

Often marriages don’t survive the process.  This is why it’s most important for both husband and wife and even the children to be in counseling, not just the abused.  This is the insidious thing about abuse.  It not only harms the victim but future relationships and family members for years to come.  This is another reason it’s so important to deal with the abuse with good counseling as early as possible.  A lot of harm could be prevented by this.

OUR WORST ENEMIES:  We are our own worst enemies!  Women and men downgrading women, ignoring spouses, family and friends who are struggling with the effects of abuse become the worst of enemies.  The victim not only has to find healing for the broken pieces of their life but also defend themselves from attack by others who perpetrate the destructive process and further abuse the victim.

All too often the healing process that should take place in the family, school or church environment instead becomes a hostile battle ground.  God intended for us – individuals, family and church – to be helpful and sympathetic while the healing process takes place rather than becoming part of the destructive force.

NEW YEARS WISH:  As this world moves towards Christ’s Second Coming may we become part of the healing for wounded souls.  Then when He comes he can say “Come, you that are blessed by my Father!  Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world.  I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.”  Matthew 25:34 – 36. Good News Bible.

If we will do this we will learn to live Heaven now!

This page last updated on Sunday January 29, 2006 11:33 AM

Disclaimer: We are not a counselling service.  We prepare materials to help church
members and church leaders better understand the problems abuse brings and prevention methods.

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