Page 7 - Kingdom News Edition 5 Online

ABUSE THE HIDDEN CRY

The Survivor Circle:

Abuse -The Hidden Cry is a hand book of hope for abuse victims,
service providers and church leaders written by Dr. Diane
Thibodeaux. This is also a valuable resource for information, statis-
tics and practical insights for effective ministry to abused women.

ow do I begin again after years, or
generations of domestic violence? 7 Steps to Protecting Yourself
How do I trust myself again? How
H I make better choices? I 1. Find someone you can trust someone that
do
don't just want to survive but I want to thrive. can speak into your life, and you will hear.
2. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Fearful of going back into the same type of
relationships, how do I avoid the same pitfall 3. Pay attention to the signs.
and the same trap? I know that domestic vio- 4. Trust your instincts! When you can, go to
lence can become a lifestyle of vicious cycles your circle, they are there for your protec-
being repeated. How can I come out of this old tion and safety.
relationship and the lifestyle of domestic vio- 5. Remember what you escaped from.
lence? If these cycles are not interrupted and 6. Don't let loneliness drive you.
stopped, they can be passed on to the next gen- 7. And don't be afraid to walk away.
eration.

I believe it is important to build what I call, A
Survivor Circle, which is made up of people
that you can go to and ask questions about your
new relationship, people that you trust to speak
into your life. It is made up of those that will
love you enough to tell you the truth and that
you love enough to listen.

Build your circle, just like you would build any
other wall to protect yourself, but build this one
to keep you safe. Build this circle out of strong
Timber, people that love you too much to see
you hurt yourself or your family by letting the
wrong elements into your life.

Support, resources and advice for your safety

Available: 24/7, 365 days a year.
Bilingual advocates on hand.

Online Resources: thehotline.org
Chat now: M-F, 10am-8pm ET

Kingdom News Magazine ~ 7