I was doing some paperwork at work this morning... and I hear screaming coming from outside... and my heart stops - and my thoughts start racing. Was this a child? Did someone get hurt? The screams come again... and I look out my window and it was a guy struggling with a girl. Was he trying to rob her? Was he trying to hurt her? I opened up my window and shouted to them that I was going to call the cops... he stopped for a couple of minutes and then the struggle started up again... I just shouted stop stop!!! I'm calling the cops!!! He looked my way and jumped in his car and raced off...
I just stood there looking out the window and I saw the girl putting herself together and begin walking down the street...
I took a deep breath and rushed out to catch up to her... I wanted to make sure she was okay.
Another lady also caught up to her. Should I turn back? Someone was already there... but her eyes... there was something in her eyes... I asked her if she wanted to come inside and sit for a while... and she nodded her head.
I took her inside the church and pulled out a chair for her. She was sobbing... and I could feel her pain. She started to make some phone calls and I walked away. All I could do was pray because I knew what I was going to have to face and its a place I don't like revisiting.
When I heard her say goodbye, I went back into the conference room and I pulled a chair and sat next to her. I asked her if she was okay and she said no... the tears just kept coming... I asked her what happened... and she shared her story of pain and abuse by her boyfriend. She told me she was 10 weeks pregnant... Oh the pain coming from her...
She looked at me and saw my tears and she apologized for messing up my day and taking me away from my schedule. I shared with her that she didn't need to apologize - my heart hurt for her because many many years ago I was in her position. I told her how I recognized her screams - because those were once my screams...
We sat there for a while and I heard her life story... and then I was able to share my life story, my days of abuse and pain and fear, the days that I prayed for my death and when that wasn't enough, I pleaded God for his death...
I shared how God saved me... I shared Hope, Love and Jesus... I shared about my son who is now 23... and a new reason for living... I shared how I was now a new creation as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come... I shared how the Lord blessed me with an incredible husband who loves me and cherishes me... I shared how God did not create her to be hurt and abused... but to be loved. The tears then began to flow again...
Her ride showed up - I asked if I could hug her and she said yes... and we stood there as I silently prayed for her...
I invited her to church on Sunday - I told her to ask for me... she looked at me kinda weird... I laughed at her and told her I work here plus I'm a little nutty so people know who I am - she laughed and said that she was going to try and come... she asked that I pray for her - for strength to escape... and she hugged me again and then ran off...
God orchestrated this whole meeting... her friend which was 5 minutes away got lost and showed up almost 20 minutes later...
As I waved at her and walked back to my office - I remembered those screams...
One can forgive the abuser... but one never forgets the abuse...
We sat there for a while and I heard her life story... and then I was able to share my life story, my days of abuse and pain and fear, the days that I prayed for my death and when that wasn't enough, I pleaded God for his death...
I shared how God saved me... I shared Hope, Love and Jesus... I shared about my son who is now 23... and a new reason for living... I shared how I was now a new creation as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come... I shared how the Lord blessed me with an incredible husband who loves me and cherishes me... I shared how God did not create her to be hurt and abused... but to be loved. The tears then began to flow again...
Her ride showed up - I asked if I could hug her and she said yes... and we stood there as I silently prayed for her...
I invited her to church on Sunday - I told her to ask for me... she looked at me kinda weird... I laughed at her and told her I work here plus I'm a little nutty so people know who I am - she laughed and said that she was going to try and come... she asked that I pray for her - for strength to escape... and she hugged me again and then ran off...
God orchestrated this whole meeting... her friend which was 5 minutes away got lost and showed up almost 20 minutes later...
As I waved at her and walked back to my office - I remembered those screams...
One can forgive the abuser... but one never forgets the abuse...
The scars heal... but they always stay tender...
The memories slowly creep back up to the forefront of your mind and heart...
But then He whispers into your heart and reminds you that you are loved, that its okay... and then I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - “Praise be to the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
