Dear Christine,
I went through a period of suffering because of a hurtful and terrible thing that a wicked, evil, mentally ill person did to me.
That person called me on my home phone telling me that my daughter had been raped by a gang of guys in the washroom.
I would wake up with a terrible feeling of fear and anxiety and I would sing or speak praise to God until those feelings went away.
It amazed me that praises always worked. The hopelessness, futility and sadness I felt about what he did made it hard to get through each day.
I needed an infusion of the joy of the Lord, and that is what praising God did for me. When I praised and worshipped God, it was like being reborn all over.
I had my heart and eyes lifted to Him in worship and praise. The joy of the Lord poured into my mind, soul and spirit and crowded out the fear and sadness and it worked.
I prayed that person would find the Lord and come to an understanding about life.
God is a God of love and He asks us to behave lovingly towards others.
– ???
Dear ???,
It is heartening to hear that you are trying to get on with your life after that nasty episode.
That lie about the rape of your daughter was designed to make you panic. The only news worse than that for a mother is the death of her child. It was a malicious act and one that may come back to haunt him in time.
I sense that you have forgiven him and left him to God. If I am right, you may well be on the way to reclaiming your self-respect. Good for you!
Like so many others who have been wounded through the years, you have found solace in the Lord.
There are two Psalms you may find helpful here.
Psalm 56:4 states: “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me?”
And Psalm 46: 1-3 says: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.”
Pease keep in touch.
– Christine