“As I sit in prison for killing my husband, I sometimes reflect on all the things that went wrong during our thirteen-year marriage. I suffered emotional, verbal, and physical abuse, and I protected that secret for a long time. We relied more on ourselves to fix things in the marriage, and that was a sure recipe for disaster.
My church was a tremendous support, but I did not allow people there to see the depths of my pain. I had loving sisters and great friends who would have given their full support if only I had shared what was going on within my marriage.
I’m convinced if I had allowed others into my world and embraced help, I wouldn’t be incarcerated today. I encourage anyone facing any type of abuse to share your personal turmoil with another person. Don’t remain silent; seek help…
Does the story end there? No.Whatever transgressions occur in your life, your choice to move beyond the fall is yours. My motto is: My transgression doesn’t define the person I am or the person I will grow to be in Christ.”
Tara Lyle, “Wife without Wings,” in Wisdom Found: Stories of Women Transfigured by Faith, Ed. Lindsay Hardin Freeman
My mom gave me this really wonderful book for Mother’s Day. As I pray and prepare for a seminar on bringing God’s story of grace for women to the world’s women, I am intrigued by the stories in this book. I pray you read this story and you think about who in your world might be suffering abuse — what woman do you know who might be on the verge of murdering her husband because of the abuse she is suffering? What does bringing the message of good news to this woman look like? What connection do you have with her?
It’s really not that simple, if you read Tara’s words. People would have helped her, but she kept to herself, and that is the story of many/most abused women. I think the average number of times a woman in a domestic abuse situation must leave before the leaving is final is 7. What can you do to make the gospel real to her?
[No, this paragraph is not the answer — as a good coach, I’m encouraging you to take that as a matter for prayer before the Creator and Redeemer who knows and loves this woman. I would love to hear your thoughts, though:)].
