Do you sometimes struggle with trust issues like me? Abuse survivors often grow up expecting others to hurt us so we have trouble developing trust, or we hand over our trust prematurely to people who don’t earn or deserve it. Early in my recovery, it was hard to trust God. More recently, I have trusted … Continue reading How Can Dolphins Help Abuse Survivors Understand Prayer and Trust?
Many of us think of sexual abuse as an unpardonable sin. Its effects are so far-reaching. We have been told repeatedly that abusers can’t change, and recovery means acknowledging that fact while no longer permitting what happened to control us. We hold on to the hope that change is possible for us, but we believe … Continue reading What if the Improbable Was Somehow Possible?
Father Knows Best was a popular television show when I was a child. It was about the Anderson family whose dad offered sage advice whenever one of his children encountered a problem. The image of a caring father who acts in the best interest of his children is an anomaly for victims of sexual abuse … Continue reading How Knowing God as “Father” Informs My Understanding of Prayer
Sexual abuse victims find many reasons to hide: shame, fear, feelings of inadequacy, etc. Over time, hiding can become a way of life. But, what if the things you believe about yourself are not true and the way you see yourself is inaccurate? What might your life become if hiding were no longer necessary? The … Continue reading What If Hiding Is No Longer Necessary?
When I was a child, the Andy Griffith Show depicted life in a quaint little Southern town called Mayberry where relationships were genuine and everybody got along dandy in the end. A lot of TV shows were like that back then. In fact, until my late forties, I believed my life was like that too. … Continue reading Leaving the Illusion Behind
