Bruised Reed - Musings of an Abuse Survivor

Apparently, The Gospel Coalition has responded to an excellent, but not-so-favorable, article on domestic abuse recently released in Australia, by publishing an " open letter " in which they appear to condemn abusers. :headdesk:  :headdesk:  :headdesk: There are so many problems with this letter, I don't even know where to begin.  They may be hard for most readers to spot, but nonetheless, they most certainly exist.  Let's start with the intended audience of this "open letter" - the abusers.  Why does Mr. Campbell address the people least likely to even read such a post, let alone admit that it applies to them?  It is a well-known fact that abusers will always seek to shift the blame for their actions onto others, and avoid accepting responsibility for their behaviors at all costs.  Why does he not address it instead to the victims of abuse?  The ones who are hurting and desperate?  Those who could use public support and encouragement from a large re

My husband and I went to see the new 'Wonder Woman' film the other night. I expected it to be good, since I hadn't heard or read anything negative about the film, but I didn't expect it to be *that* good.  I expected to be entertained. I didn't expect to be transformed. I have never related to a movie character as much as I relate to Wonder Woman. Like Diana, I was raised in a very sheltered environment, yet not truly protected from or prepared for the true dangers in life. I, too, had a very naive and innocent view of the world, and have had a rather brutal awakening to the fact that some people are just plain evil, Ares or no Ares. I have often felt that there was something out there that wanted to destroy me, and it has tried many times to do so, because it feared what I would become and what I will accomplish. I have struggled to balance my own compassion and desire to help others with the fact that I can't save everyone, especially tho

He has shown you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  ~  Micah 6:8 "You can’t have justice without mercy, and achieving both requires humility as well. Justice is the pursuit of what is right. It is helping those who are weak, fighting for those who have been wronged, speaking against those who oppress their fellow women and men." - Tim Fall _____________________________________________________________________ This verse has been on my mind for some time now.  I grew up hearing it preached and taught fairly often.  I even sang a song about it with a group of friends several years ago!  Like many other things, my understanding of the concept of justice has shifted significantly in recent years.  I used to think that justice was some abstract quality that only God Himself practiced, or perhaps human judicial systems as well.  I thought that it was only practiced against the wicked

My pseudonym might seem rather strange or unusual on the surface, but I assure you, it wasn't chosen at random.  It comes from a passage of Old Testament Scripture - Isaiah 42, to be exact - and is quoted in the New Testament, in Matthew chapter 12.  Although my interpretation may not be correct, I feel as though Isaiah refers to people who are downtrodden and discouraged and ready to give up because of the way others have abused them, but Christ spares them and lifts them up again.  Reeds are fragile and rather useless individually, but when woven together, they can become quite strong and durable!  I am the "bruised reed" and "smoking flax" in this verse.  There have been so many times when I should have been crushed or snuffed out by abuse, but I was not.  I am weak, I am small, I am easily broken, yet still, God loved me enough to care for me when no one else would, and deliver me from those who desired to destroy my soul and my life.  He kept that spark

Welcome to my blog!  As the title states, I am a survivor of mental, emotional, verbal, spiritual, and sexual abuse.  Since I often find it easier to process my thoughts in writing than in speaking, I decided to start this blog as a part of my healing process.  Not only will I attempt to work through my experiences in a more visual fashion, I will also be able to record details and memories that would otherwise likely be forgotten over time.  I also hope that what I write may be of some help to others who have experienced similar things.  Since I am not yet comfortable with openly sharing the details of my private life in a public manner, I will for the time being use pseudonyms for myself (Bruised Reed) and for the people I write about.  Just for the sake of clarification, I am a Christian, so there will be mentions of God, religion, theology, Scripture, and church in some of my posts.  However, I do not accept many traditional 'christian' doctrines, beliefs, and practi