Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: LOVE (08/03/23)
-
TITLE: Broken No More | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gloria Pierre Dean
08/09/23 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Little Jane was so happy in her class. She loved her life.
“I love my teachers, mom.” she often said.
Julie and Jane lived in a small home half a mile away from the school, and thankfully in a lovely rural setting.
She was so glad that she had given birth to her daughter.
Fatherless, because of the way she was conceived, but she was determined to keep her. She loved her child. ‘Gang raped’ was the word that the judge and the local papers used. She was walking home one night after work when she was accosted.
The trauma was multiplied by the physical and emotional wounds incurred by the selfish drunken men who did the act to her. Not only was she robbed of her purity but she became pregnant as a result. She hid the attack from all but eventually told her mother.
Shame, humiliation and fear tormented her. She was changed by the assault.
She could have been damaged forever but for three things, which were The Love of God, the love of her widowed mother and the support of a group of local Christian women. The women's group was called ‘Broken No More’. Her mother told her about the group and took her to the first meeting.
In the group, she felt understood. The women shared and prayed for each other. Pastor Lisa Weaver who led the group was a qualified counselor and insisted that an oath of confidentiality be a precursor to membership. Members signed it after reading it.
Biblical verses were discussed and meditated on at each meeting.
Sharing the pain with the women helped to lessen the load and the pain that Julie felt in her heart.
As she said to the group, “Sharing is the most fantastically refreshing part of this for me.”
The group’s motto was threefold.
{1} Forgive abusers,
{2} Share the pain,
{3} Let God in and
{4} Love yourself again.
‘But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” {Matthew 5:44}
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” {Romans 8:35}.
In time, Julie was able to let God in again and forgive her abusers.
She was always loving to her daughter and never regretted having her. Other women in the group with similar conception history had given up their babies or had abortions. She remembered how when she was pregnant, she would talk to her baby and play hymns to her. She knew that one day she would have to tell Jane about her origin. She prayed about that, asking God for wisdom.
Meanwhile, she lived one day at a time, holding on to faith in God’s promises. Deep in her heart was the hope that one day she would meet and marry a loving Christian man and have more children; no longer the broken woman.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
The only red ink I’d think about putting in (personally I don't like red ink much- but it does help my writing ?) would be to let us know the mother more. A few mannerisms or dialogue perhaps.
Well done,
God Bless~