Lord,
Let me rise up, look up
And see the glory of You in everything.
Let me see You when it’s hard to see You.
Let me feel You when it seems that
It’s only pain and despair in my repertoire
Of emotions.
Let me hear You in the sweet whisper of Your peace
When my soul is troubled;
And let me rest in the joy of knowing,
You are with me,
And this too shall pass.
By: Gail Bethea-Jackson
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, I step out into this world of social media not sure who will see this or what will happen. I’m stepping out of my comfort zone to share what I feel is my purpose for being on the planet. For over 30 years, I have served the public as a mental health therapist; more specifically, a Christian mental health therapist specializing in the field of sexual victimization and trauma. I have been honored to partner with those who have been victims of this crime and assisted them in healing from their emotional wounds. I have worked with hundreds of children, teens, adults, and non-offending parents, usually mothers, of incest situations in an effort to be a bridge to getting them to the other side of their pain.
When a trauma happens, it leaves an emotional hole in your soul. This is also the case for non-offending parents. Many non-offending parents, who are secondary victims, find themselves in the position of feeling alone, lost, guilty, and caught up in a whirl wind not knowing who to trust, what to do, or how to wake up from this nightmare. Victimization can render victims and secondary victims feeling vulnerable, powerless, and stripped of the worth and value God created in them.
It is my calling to help those injured by this trauma get to the other side of it and re-discover, or in some cases discover, their worth, peace, and purpose so they too may live a life as God intended; fulfilled and able to love themselves and others in a healthy way, and accept love in return.
The purpose of this blog, and those to follow, is to inspire and give hope to those who are hurting. My hope is that something I share will ignite a spark of hope that tomorrow can be better; and stir up the belief that God can, and does, step into our brokenness and heals in a brand new way. God does allow U-turns. This is not therapy, but it is therapeutic. It’s therapeutic to know you are not alone and there are others who understand and stand with you. It’s therapeutic to know things can change, and that change can begin with you. If this is you, journey with me as I share thoughts that will challenge us both towards change.
Peace and Blessings;
Gail