Cast Down, But Not Broken

The waves of discovery continue to come in and I welcome them when they come. Tides ebb and flow, they are not stagnet.

I was sent some pictures of my father and his best friend from ’57. They were young men and they seemed very much cohesively together. I remember there adoration for each other when I was a child.

Together, they adored us children, too.

Pedophiles of the grandest kind. They shared us sexually and bragged together. They drank together, smoked together — created the worst kind of mayhem in our home together.

My mother participated, too.

Here they are. A life of choices ahead of them and child molestation is what they picked. When these pictures hit my phone, I was gutted. My agony of their choices flooded out of my soul.

The depth of what these men took form me was staggering. BUT, they did not defeat me.

I have learned — with this huge Heavenly Father walking beside me, I don’t have to sugarcoat reality. It is my strong faith that allows me to declare and acknowledge these afflictions, feel them, release the anguish and then, get on from them.

I share for every one of you reading. I share for every child that was sexually abused. I share that you too will find the courage to hold these pedophiles accountable. Don’t let them walk on without hearing your voice.

Stand up! Be bold and brave. They didn’t break us, but they tried.

If God is for you, who can be against you? No one.

Originally published at http://prisonerbynocrimeofmyown.com on July 5, 2021.