Shalom beloveds
A few weeks ago I discovered Leslie Morgan Steiner’s Ted Talk 2013 video based on her book called “Crazy Love” where she talks about victims of abuse as well as her own journey through domestic violence (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1yW5IsnSjo). She makes a powerful statement that ticks all the right boxes. She says: “Abuse thrives only in silence. You have the power to end domestic violence simply by shining a spotlight on it”, she also goes on to say that the threat of being killed or having your loved ones killed weighs down heavier than the actual abuse. Victims of abuse would rather endure continuous abuse than be killed by their abuser or have that abuser kill their loved ones. These are one of the main reasons victims don’t leave. These are the kind of things that we need to talk about more and more. It is hard for victims to leave because there are so many problems and/consequences of doing so. Who will help them, keep them safe, where do they go and who do they trust, are just a few of the worries victims have. I know, I was a victim too: more than once.
It was hard for me to leave an abusive husband and divorce him. I used to fear for my life even after I left: hiding away from the world, not going out to gatherings and even staying off social media. I looked behind my shoulder many a times, it added to my PTSD and heightened my anxiety. Trauma is a vulture that circles you when you’re down, waiting to feast on you when your will to carry on is dead. I’ve been there, too many times to count, watching my trauma on the verge of pouncing. I’ve been at that cliff edge ready to give up. BUT THEN I remember the hand of God pulling me out of that deep pit and saving me from a life of continuous toxicity, betrayal, manipulation, narcissism and violent abuse. I even remember how He saved me those times, before my marriage, from the clutching hands of evil, and how I came to know YHWH, the one true God, through His son Yeshua. I stood at that cliff edge and I remember how, in my darkest times, God pulled me up.
Yes, there’s still the threats, harassment, stalking and identity theft. It’s the type of adversity that’s loud and discouraging BUT it’s all just weak attacks from the enemy. The Lord says: weapons shall be formed but they WILL NOT prosper (paraphrased from Isaiah 54:17). I left an abusive marriage, and even left abusive relationships before then, so I am living proof that God can save you when it looks like there’s no way out. But also, it takes society to also shine a spotlight on abuse and help victims out of it. I have therefore made it my mission to speak up and end the silence, not just for me but for current victims too, and possible future victims. As a community, we need to collectively stand together and end the cycle of abuse. They say: “It takes a village to raise a child”, so why don’t the same village stand up, speak out against and shine a light on abuse?
Thank you for reading, till next time…
Peace and blessings in Yeshua.
