*In today's post, we address a sensitive topic of abuse. If you've been affected by abuse, whether you or a person you care about, you are not alone. You can find more support from Focus on the Family.
Happy Friday, friends! I'm Missy Eversole, and I've been invited to share my story with you on the blog today. Nice to meet you!
As a child, I went through verbal, mental, and physical abuse. My mother was an alcoholic and when drinking, she turned into a vengeful woman – opposite of the caring, sober mom I loved. The abuse, especially the verbal abuse, cut me to the core.
These experiences I endured in my childhood years changed the way I communicated with people, but not for the better. This is why I resonated so strongly with these words from Lysa on page 85 of Forgiving What You Can’t Forget:
“We can’t change what we have experienced, but we can choose how the experiences change us.”
Early in my marriage, any time a disagreement arose between my husband and me, hurtful, cruel comments would flow from my mouth like lava from a volcano. It wasn’t until collecting and connecting the dots of my past that I realized just as I had been a verbal target for my mom, my husband had become one for me.
After witnessing firsthand the devastation negative words have on families, I knew I needed to change, but it wasn’t until facing up to those painful dots of childhood abuse that I could finally get on with the business of correcting them, so my sons wouldn’t have to go through the same abuse I did.
Thankfully, the Lord took me under His wings, and through the support of my husband, the curse of verbal abuse was broken.
Facing our past hurts is something we try to avoid; however, I encourage you to collect, connect and correct your dots. Please don’t rush the process. Instead, hold on to God as He brings you comfort each step of the way. Let the Lord do His work as He restores your heart and heals you from your pain.
This weekend, continue to work with your dots and jot down anything that stands out to you. Most importantly, pray and seek guidance from the Lord. You are making great strides, friends! Don’t give up!
Blessings,
Missy
Heart to Heart:
As you work with your dots, what is a past experience that you will hand over to the Lord, and why?
Last night on our P31 OBS Facebook page, we had Bible Study LIVE at the Table! We watched this video (above) together and then had a discussion around some of the questions found in the Study Guide. No Facebook? No problem! You can access this video here, even if you don't have an account! See you at the Table!