The following is a continuation of “Broken but Beautiful: Don’t Give up on Healing, Help Will Come – Pt. 1” which you can read here.
I learnt how to live with my dark secret until I was 19. I attended a youth conference organized by the church and I hoped to find GOD. The theme for that conference was based on the life of Joseph. The sessions were enriching but I would zone out and doze off through most of the sessions because a lot didn’t make sense then, but I liked the prayer sessions.
One day things changed when the pastor talking about sexual purity said, “there could be some of you who were introduced to sexuality through sexual abuse but that is not your fault…” That woke me up from my slumber! I became alert and looked at him without a blink. I couldn’t believe what I heard. I started shaking, got emotional but held my tears in.
He went on to read Isaiah 61:3 – “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”
Oh! That filled my heart with joy. I felt alive and understood. He then invited us for counseling sessions after the sermon. I skipped lunch and stayed behind for counselling. That was the first time I shared the story of my past sexual abuse and it was the beginning of my healing journey. I’m glad I took the risk to accept help.
Sometimes we ask for help and sometimes help comes to us.
You may have looked for help and given up because you didn’t feel believed or it just didn’t feel safe and this has made you shut out hope for healing. It’s okay to feel this way and there is still hope for you.
It’s okay to feel disappointed if you don’t find help when you expect it, but this shouldn’t stop you from hoping and reaching out for help because we can’t heal what we don’t reveal. Another person’s disbelief has no power over your healing. We have the power to choose to heal.
GOD is waiting and is longing for you to receive help. This is what the Bible says,
“Therefore, the LORD waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore, he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.” Isaiah 30:18 ESV
May you find courage to accept help today.
Faith is a Children’s Content Creator at Learn & Grow enterprises, Storyteller and Mental Health Advocate. She tells her story to offer hope, help and healing to survivors of sexual trauma.