Making Peace with Our Stories…
The sad things that happened long ago will always remain part of who we are just as the glad and gracious things will too, but instead of being a burden of guilt, recrimination, and regret that make us constantly stumble as we go, even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength for the journey that still lies ahead.
Telling Secrets, Frederick Buechner
In 2016, I ran a series of Listening on the Journey… blog posts entitled The Little Girl Inside our Story in which my friend, Bethany, (a pseudonym) shared parts of her story of childhood abuse.
Nothing hurts my soul more deeply than children being abused. Recently, I heard a news story about increased child abuse occurring during the pandemic. The little bit of research I have done tells me there are mixed views about the accuracy of such stories.
I am not qualified to make definitive statements about whether more children have been abused during the 2020 pandemic. I do know perpetrators often try to isolate their victims, and it seems a major quarantine could make that easier. Only time will tell as stories emerge.
Hearing reports of possible increased abuse caused me to begin thinking about Bethany. My friend has moved from the region, and we rarely visit nowadays, but I texted her and asked permission to again share her story. She agreed graciously.
For the next few weeks, I will once again share Bethany’s story with follow-up posts offering additional insights about embracing, making peace with, and sharing our own personal stories.
I’m praying this series will bless you and bring hope that God wants to help each of us find peace in our story…
