The church was small; only around 70 people were present, including
the youth. The elementary school age children were seated on the floor
around the altar as I ministered to them through music and humor on
Sexual Abuse & Prevention.
There was a woman with a five-year-old daughter visiting that evening
whose family had a seemingly innocent bedtime ritual, every night
Daddy would bathe her, then Mommy would tuck her in bed. What Mommy
didn't know was that during the bath time her husband was fondling
their daughter! Not knowing what his daughter had learned that evening
at church, Daddy molested her again that night during her bath time.
This time the results were different, because of what she had learned
from our ministry that evening, when Mommy tucked her in bed for the
night, she told her what had been happening.
Unfortunately she is not alone. One out of every four girls and one
out of every seven boys will be the victim of a sexual assault by
the age of fourteen.
The father phoned me a couple of weeks later. As I listened to the
torment in his voice God spoke to my heart. "Brother, God says
to tell you that suicide is not the answer!"
"It's the only answer I see," he replied. "None
of my daughter's friends will be allowed to come over and play with
her once this hits the newspapers."
"Let me tell you what will happen if you commit suicide, your
daughter will grow up blaming herself all the days of her life for
your death. She'll be haunted with the condemning thought, 'If
I hadn't told, Daddy would be alive today!'"
This insight helped to give him the motivation he needed to get help.
For the safety of his daughter he is mandated by the court to live
apart from his family for an unspecified season, but he's getting
help and making miraculous progress. His daughter is getting ongoing
help as well, and responding well to therapy. God is slowly taking
what the enemy meant for evil and working it for their good. "But
where sin did abound, grace will much more abound!" (Romans 5:20)
|