Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Loss of Innocence, and the Gift of New Life


For those who may question why our daughters need to be protected, I share the following testimony I received from a reader of mine. I share this with her permission, and I share this as a call to men to stand in gap, fight for your girls, and don't ever think they're old enough to go-it-alone. This reader is responding to my articles on Protecting Daughters, which can be read here, and here.

Her words...

I am a 30 year old Christian wife and mother of 3 boys. I came to know The Lord at the age of 19, after I had almost destroyed myself. To be honest, I thank the Lord that I am even alive today, let alone saved. I was taken from my mother when my parents divorced when I was a toddler. My dad later remarried and I was raised by him and my step mom. My dad was a soldier, which meant he was gone a lot. While he was away my step mom would demean him and not enforce his rules. She made jokes about him. She encouraged me to wear tight clothing and would tease me when I didn't want to. Some of her advice to me through the years was "get your education and make your own money so you don't have to be dependent on a man."
When I was a sophomore in high school and was dating a young man who was in college, her advice to me was that it's okay to have sex as long as I'm in love and I come to her for protection...oh, and she promised not to tell my dad. Long story short, before I turned 19 I was no longer a virgin, I had been pulled into Wicca and alcohol and drugs. I was raped at age 17 and ended up pregnant by the time I was a senior in high school. Since my boyfriend was 12 years older than me, he and his family made sure I had an abortion so he wouldn't end up in jail for statutory rape.
By the time I was 18 I was living with this man because I felt I had nowhere to go. I didn't want to go back to my father's house, where my step mom was cruel and cussed and screamed and my dad was never around to protect me from her. I decided my only option was to live with this man, who was no man at all. Even though he took advatange of me I was young and naive, so I believed him when he said he loved me. I payed the bills while he sat around playing video games and smoking pot.

One night he got brave and put my hands behind my back and shoved me against the wall. Then he threw me on the bed. All because I wouldn't give him my keys to my car. I fought him and got away. I got saved that night as I drove away from him. In my car, alone and scared and exhausted, I cried out to God. I only knew John 3:16. Up until this moment God was always the one I cried to in my pillow at night from the time I was around 7 years old and started having memories of being molested when I was 5. He was the one I cried to when I was hurt over and over by the people who were supposed to protect me. But I didn't know Him. This night, however, I cried out to Him and told Him I didn't want to be alone anymore and I didn't want to live for empty things that didn't satify me. I told God that if He could do anything with a worthless, pitiful mess like me, that He could have me. My life has been drastically different ever since. He washed me and changed my heart.

So..about your article about defending daughters:
I agree with you whole heartedly. Before I learned to forgive my step mom I was always very angry with her. It wasn't until I was a mother and saw her selfishness affecting my children and noticed my dad wasn't standing in front of my children, that I realized that my dad was equally at fault for some of the things I experienced as a young girl. He was off defending a nation, and I am grateful for his service and I understand that his job required that he be away. But even so, he was not able to defend his little girl. I thank the Lord for stepping in. He gave me a wonderful God-fearing husband who protects our family no matter who says what about it.

So..to all the men out there: stand in front of your daughters. Her life depends on it.


Thank you to my reader who shared this, and thank you to the LORD for doing a wonderful work in her life!

Your thoughts...