Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise….
Sometimes people who have been deeply wounded use the pain or abuse they went through to excuse current behavior that is not right. Other times, people who have suffered deep hurts want to hide their pain because they are ashamed of it. This is especially true for those who have endured sexual abuse. I know about this firsthand, because my father sexually abused me for years when I was a child.
After Dave and I had been married about five years, we attended a seminar at our church. The speaker shared her testimony about being sexually abused by her father. I did not know ahead of time that she would be speaking on that subject, and hearing her story brought to the surface pain that I had hidden in my heart for a long time.
Wanting to help me heal from my past, Dave bought the woman’s book about her testimony for me. Reading her story made me angry because it reminded me of what I had been through. Obviously, I was still in pain, though I had tried to bury it for years.
Whatever your situation is, I want you to know that someone else has been through it, too. Just as the seminar speaker was ahead of me on the journey to healing from sexual abuse, someone has gone before you on your journey, too. That woman had learned keys to healing that I needed, and she was willing to share them in her book.
Let me encourage you today to find books, blogs, audio or video messages, or internet posts from people who have experienced the same struggles you have faced. Let the healing God has done in their lives encourage you and allow the fact that they have moved beyond their pain to inspire you to keep moving beyond yours. One of the gifts of being a believer in Jesus Christ is that we are part of God’s family. And God uses people in His family to help and strengthen others.
You certainly don’t want to run around and tell your story to anyone who will listen, especially if it is a sensitive matter. But if you ask God to send wise, trustworthy people into your life to help you, He will do it. One of the best ways to stay wounded is to remain isolated in your pain, and one of the best ways to be healed is to be willing to talk with others to learn how God has healed them. He may not heal you the same way He has healed them, but your healing and victory will be just as complete.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, rejection hurts, but I ask You to help me shake it off and release the pain I’ve experienced once and for all. Send wise, trustworthy people into my life, and lead me into the freedom and restoration only You can give, amen.
