If you, or someone you know, has experienced abuse in one of its many forms, you need to read this book. It will help you understand the depths of sorrow and the heights of joy available to the survivor of any type of childhood abuse. Millions of people in America were victimized as children by physical, emotional, psychological, and/or sexual abuse. Some of us have sought counseling and worked for recovery. Others have tried to "more on" unhealed and alone.
Did you know that research indicates that one in every four girls and one if every six boys will be victimized by sexual abuse before the age of eighteen? Some studies indicate that more than half of those abused suffered at the hands of a trusted friend or loved one. They experienced the violation of their body, the rupture of their trust, and a tsunami of self recimination that severely affected their ability to function.
The good news you will find in Redeeming Our Treasures is that function can be recovered and interrupted childhood development can be resumed at any age. The tasks of healthy development such as autonomy, healthy detachment, ego strength, assertiveness, development of boundaries, and a secure sense of 'self' have been aborted at various stages in the psyche of the abuse survivor leaving some survivors feeling 'different,' inadequate, and deptendant. Others become outwardly controlling, abusive, and/or destructive in order to cope with hurts they have buried so deeply that they are no longer aware of them.
There are treasures to be recovered--lives to be redeemed! We serve a Redeemer God who has provided everything we need to come out of the death of our denial and embrace a life filled with challenge and triumph. A life redeemed from the power of death by the One who seemed distant and uninvolved.
Only by returning to the crucible of our suffering, exhuming the treasures buried beneath the rubble of a life interrupted by abuse, will we equip ourselves for the quest to which we are called--that of living a victorious life. Like stars shining in the dark night of affliction, we will light the way for others who linger still in the shadow lands of their abuse.
This book is for for survivors, for those who agonize over their part in colluding with the perpetrator, and for all who love the person we were 'back then' and the survivor we have become today. It is for pastors who no longer want to look away from the pain in their pews, and for teachers whose heart aches to rescue the abused chid in their classroom. It is for all of us who live in this traumatized world and need to know where a loving God is when life hurts.
Welcome to my world. The world of a survivor who has found the courage to tell others where I have been, where I am, and to invite them to journey with me into the wonder of a hunt for treasures beyond our wildest dreams.
Note: The Companion Workbook for groups or individuals will be available on or October 31st, 2009.
