If there is one thing I have learned, it is that just like Violet, everybody has a story. No two stories are alike and some stories seem more harsh than others, but rest assured there is no such thing as a "perfect" life. We live in a fallen world riddled with sin and darkness all around us. If there is one thing we all have in common, it is that none of us are spared from it's ugly wrath. No human is immune to it and the effects of sin are crippling. Everywhere you look you will see it and you cannot hide from it's consequences. It affects the young and the old, the rich and the poor and spreads to all ends of the earth. Sometimes the consequences come as a direct result from our own sin and sometimes we are forced to pay the consequences for a sin that was committed against us. Sometimes we just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and find ourselves victims of natural disasters, or perhaps satan hand picks us as his prey for sickness and disease.
Violet Jessop lived to tell about her story. I'm sure that given the choice, Violet would not have chosen to endure the tragic events that made up her story. I'm going out on a limb here, but I am just guessing that she would have gladly skipped out on boarding the three ships that almost took her life. Much like the rest of us, however, Violet was not given the choice.
Like Violet, I too was forced to go on a journey that I did not prefer to take...a journey that I would have avoided at all cost if given the choice. The truth of the matter is, I was not given the choice. Like so many of us, I am having to endure the consequences of a sin committed against me. Unfortunately, my journey is not unique in and of itself and many others have walked through similar situations. The sick reality is, there are more than 39 million Americans who can personally relate with me about the devastating effects of sexual abuse, not to mention the countless others around the globe. As many as one in three girls and one in seven boys are sexually abused during their childhood. Trust me when I tell you that not one of us chose to become part of this statistic. None of us chose to have our childhood innocence stolen right out from under us and then have to live through the painful consequences that follow.
My personal story begins as a young girl who was hurt by the very people I should have been able to trust the most....the very people who were put on this earth to love and protect me...my parents. It has taken me 20 years to be able to talk about it and come to terms with the fact that this was not just a horrible nightmare. The journey has been long and painful, but like Violet....by the grace of God I have survived the unthinkable and would like to share with you parts of my journey.
My hope and prayer for this blog is that this would be more than me just telling you my story. I want this to be a place of safety, encouragement, and support....a place of healing.
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