Healing the Wounds

Someone asked me recently if my story line in Like A Cedar In Lebanon happened to me. That answer is a simple no. I was not molested by someone in the church,  I didn’t suffer childhood abuse, I didn’t get taken advantage of by an older male when I was a teenager, I haven’t had an abortion, and I didn’t go into hiding.

But I know people who have had all of the above happen to them.  I cover all these issues in my book.  I have been a Christian since I was fourteen years old and asked Jesus into my heart. Before that I attended church.  I’ve seen and heard of all the above things happening within the church. It’s a fact of life. Maybe we haven’t made national headlines like the Catholic Church for atrocities perpetrated by priests, but nonetheless, things happened.

We can’t ignore it, and hope it’ll go away, hope that victims will somehow miraculously be all right while we refuse to talk about what happened to them.  I remember when I was a counselor at youth camp one year. I had a dorm of thirteen teenage girls.

Before breakfast every morning we were required to have a time of prayer and devotions with our campers. A college student who was over sports for the camp, also bunked in our dorm. One particular morning during devotions, she asked, “Have any of you ever been molested?”

The silence was palpable. Then one girl raised her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Soon all but two of the girls had raised their hands. Most had never told anyone what happened to them. All unburdened their hearts that morning with sobs and trembling.

How many people put a smile on their faces and pretend life is fine while they harbor a deep, buried wound?  If you have ever been the victim of abuse, molestation, undergone an abortion -- don’t hold it in. Talk to someone you trust, preferably an older, wiser person. Allow God to start the healing process today.  He knows, He cares!