God can heal all wounds – and Karen Rabbitt can testify. A childhood sexual abuse survivor, Karen struggled with years of anger, shame, depression, and a pattern of self-neglect that led to destructive health choices.
It was only when she learned how to trade fathers – her abusive earthly father for her Heavenly father, that she could love herself and receive healing.
In her article below, Karen shares how she was able to forgive and gives other sexual abuse survivors hope that they too can begin to heal:
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Beginning to Heal from Sexual Abuse
By Karen Rabbitt, M.S.W.
When a parent or other authority figure exploits our childhood innocence for their own perverted pleasure, we grow up injured. Whether we realize it or not, we suffer from that childhood wound.
Healing begins when we start seeing the wound clearly, recognize we’re not responsible, and find a compassionate listener.
Abuse is sin. It’s a sin when a parent treats us like an object rather than a person. When someone violates our personhood by using us for their own sexual gratification, that’s sin.
We are gifts to our families and we deserved to be treated as such.
Don’t minimize the impact. The wound left in the wake of sin has consequences.
We have trouble trusting, we startle easily, we struggle with self-worth. All those, and more, are a direct result of being mistreated. They’re not just “how we are” or our “personality.”
They are a result of our perpetrator’s sin. Someone violated our body/soul/spirit and took something they had no right to. They betrayed our trust and stole our innocence. We did not have the capacity to give permission.
And none of it was our fault. That’s the second piece. What happened. Was. Not. Our. Fault. No matter what the person who hurt us says, we did nothing to deserve sexual abuse.
A small child, a young girl, an innocent little boy, does not have the capability to entice an adult.
The adult enticed himself, or herself. They acted out a scene they imagined in their own mind. They thought about what they did ahead of time. They created an opportunity to act. That is their responsibility. Not ours.
The adult is always responsible.
Most of the time, though, they won’t take that responsibility, so we, their victims, have to give it to them. Not necessarily by talking to them and getting their “permission.” But by knowing, in our own minds, that we did nothing that deserved being victimized.
We need to give responsibility where it belongs — with the one who hurt us. The perpetrator is always responsible.
And, thirdly, as you take the first steps toward healing, tell someone. Ask God to show you someone safe. Someone who will believe you. Someone who will tell you “It’s not your fault.”
Someone who has suffered and has gained a measure of peace for themselves. Not necessarily the same suffering, but someone who understands pain. Who is kind and compassionate and will weep with you and encourage you in the Lord.
As you experience their reaction to your story, you will get a new perspective. You’ll experience their anger at what happened to you. You’ll recognize more fully the evil of the sin. You’ll feel their empathy as you look into their eyes.
Usually, growing up in an abusive household is growing up without empathy. Without someone who understands our feelings of sadness and anger. We grow up emotionally alone. We are meant to “weep with those who weep.” Jesus wants us to have a shoulder to cry on. Not that we’re meant to grieve our losses for the rest of our lives. But we must begin there.
In fact, Jesus, himself, is tearful with us. That’s the image that was most healing to me in my own recovery from sexual abuse — of Jesus weeping with me.
Read my story, which includes questions for personal reflection, in Trading Fathers: Forgiving Dad, Embracing God.
Learn more about Karen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenRabbitt.Speaker
Order a copy from Amazon.com: Trading Fathers.
Karen Rabbitt, M.S.W., a seasoned psychotherapist, has written for Marriage Partnership and Today’s Christian Woman, in addition to writing her own story, Trading Fathers: Forgiving Dad, Embracing God (WinePress, 2009).
Raised on an Illinois farm in a difficult family, Karen experienced traumatic sexual abuse as a child at the hand of her father. The devastation of this abuse eventually led to depression and serious mental illness in her twenties. After she recovered, Karen earned her Masters of Social Work degree and provided psychotherapy to Christian women from 1986 to 2005.
A Christian Leaders, Authors, and Speakers Seminar (CLASS) graduate, Karen now speaks and leads retreats with a particular focus on finding peace by choosing forgiveness. Now a grandmother, Karen still lives in Illinois and has been married to Jerry since 1972. She attends The Vineyard Church.
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Please pray for me. I can’t do this anymore. I feel like I’m in a prison on the inside. Walls too high for anyone to scale, even God. What you said about growing up without empathy, that is so true. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Nicole – I am praying with you. The first step to getting free is believing you CAN be free. Do you believe this? If not, that is the first thing to pray about.
The next step is seeking help free the source of ultimate freedom. You do not have to be in prison inside. Jesus loves you and came to set captives free. It all begins with having a personal relationship with Him and knowing and believing in the truth of His word above your own thinking.
THe Lord loves you and there is NOTHING too hard for Him. No wall that it too high for Him to scale.
* Psalm 147:3 – He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
* Galatians 5:1 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
* Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
Click here to learn more about establishing a relationship with the Lord who loves you.
Hello Karen.
your story really touch me. Because i was abuse as a child am a christian i go to church.
but i have not fully confided in my pastor or leaders of the church.I said to my minister who is a female that i was abuse when i was a child. but i did not go into details about the abuse.but i know i need to speak to someone about it. she is also a councilor. am 51 now and still find it very hard to
talk about my ordeal. I know i need to talk about it so i can get healing. once again thank you for sharing your story.
God bless