Onward, Upward, and Further In

Ruined? Did he ruin me? Are his lies permanently imprinted on my soul? How deep does the defiling go? Will it ever be lifted? Shall I always be haunted? Will my soul always be stunted? His shadow looms like a great dragon, seeking to devour every sweet potential in a little girl. I can’t forget. I can’t hide. I could scream forever into the void. Does his defiling define me? Have I been made worthless and hysterical? By evil deeds done long ago in secret? This wickedness encroaches on me…can I escape? What is a girl’s worth? What is she worth decades later, when she is broken and ashamed? Many plagues pursue me. Am I plagued because of him, because of what he did? Can light pierce this darkness? Can light heal the decades of damage? Why am I crushed with increasing intensity? When does it all end? When is there quiet for my soul? When will the stillness wash over me, with precious rest from the raging violence of my mind and body? In the stillness, in the quiet, YOU are there. Will you...

Broken, bruised and defiled. Battered by words and deeds. Bruised by betrayal. Defiled by the most unholy. Some women have scars. Scars that wound the soul. They forever change her. Her scars are a blessing and a curse. She is a mess of complex emotion. Her pain is raw. She bleeds. Her tears hold indescribable grief. Her life is chaotic. She is lost. She is alone. She is too much. She is not enough. It’s easy to despise her weakness rather than value her strength. See past the wounds and the rough edges. See more than the war that wages inside of her. See more than all she tries to hide. See more than all she reveals. See more than the heavy load she carries on her back. See her depths of love. See her dignity and her immeasurable worth. See her mercy. See how she suffers long. See the many treasures in her you never saw before. Open your eyes. Open your heart.  SEE HER. Be the grace that lifts her head. Be the kindness that counterbalances the cruelty. ...